Nothing Left To Lose
by mattlukejess
Summary: How do you live when you have nothing left to lose, recklessly Jason tells me most days. Losing everything when I was still a boy put me on the path I was on today. I got in, did the job and then got out again, until that job was her. Her life, despite not knowing it, was just as dangerous as my own. Protecting her soon became my only mission in life, a mission I refuse to fail.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello and welcome to another new story.**

 **While I was writing Principessa last year and working the details out for Hain's character this story started to form in my mind. Like Principessa, this story is fast paced and going to be a roller coaster so I would suggest you strap yourself in as it's going to be a hell of a ride.**

 **As always E L James owns the fifty characters, I'm just going to put them through the ringer many times over. Enjoy x**

CPOV

I stood watching the waves crash onto the shore, hearing her laughter in my mind. Mia loved the beach, she loved running in and out of the water and I know she would've never gone home if she had the choice.

Her choices, her everything though had been taken a long time ago and despite how much I wished to see my sister again, nothing would bring her back.

Taking a drink from my beer, I turned back towards the house when I heard my phone ringing on the deck. I ignored it for a moment, longing to go back to that peace, the memories for a few moments more.

I knew it was futile though as the ringing continued. Abandoning my peace, I finally answered, stopping the incessant noise.

"Grey."

"We have a job," Jason told me.

"Right, I will be there as soon as I can."

Ending the call, I made my way into the house grabbing my jacket and car keys. I say house, it's more like a shack built by Jason and me one weekend. It's waterproof, has water thanks to the sky up above and I even had a generator too. It was my quiet place away from everything, the space I needed away from the job that I do.

Despite being on the beach, there is no one else around for miles. For someone to get access to my home, they would either have to abseil down the surrounding cliffs, come in by boat or take a chance and come in from the road. With the amount of security features that Barney had set up around here though, whoever tried might not be in one piece when they reached it.

Leaving my property behind, I made sure all the alarms were set. It would take me over thirty minutes to get to Jason's place and I know once I get there, the rest of our team would've arrived.

My thoughts as I drove down the familiar roads went back to Mia again. She would've been twenty now, taking the world by storm, no doubt. She loved to cook, was even better than our mother at a young age, and that was why we were there that day. For her birthday my parents had given her the gift of spending the afternoon in Canlis, cooking with a professional chef. She was so excited, demanding that I had to be there so I could taste her edible delights, as she called it.

Also there that day was Senator Cane, having a business lunch. He was an innocent but he's the reason that everything was taken away. A bomb, left in a delivery truck not just destroyed the restaurant but my world too. I arrived at the front door, nearly knocking a man over in my rush to get inside as I was late as usual, spending my time getting my cock sucked by Susie instead of being with my family. Mia was happy I arrived though, waving at me from the kitchen, little chef hat on her head. Her smile quickly faded along with her life as the bomb exploded, throwing me back through the window, into the parking lot beyond.

My mum… she'd been in the bathroom at the time and had been the only one inside there to survive. She shut down, pushed me away, even blamed me for not being there. I was a disappointment to her, late as always, so as not to cause her any more pain, I turned and walked away.

Pain was all I felt that day and for a long time after before that pain turned to anger. I wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me and took my family away. That anger is what brought me to the men before me now. Jason Taylor, Barney Stewart, and Elliot McKay.

When a friend of mine enlisted in the army, I did too. Charlie Sawyer and I had been at school together, although he was a few years older than me. He took me under his wing, just like Jason did, both helping me channel my anger. We travelled all over for years, dealing with the scum of the earth while becoming an invincible special forces team. When Jason was discharged due to failing his psych exam we all walked away too.

How was he going to pass when he had completely gone off the rails. Finding the son of the man who had murdered my family and disposing of him, his father took his revenge out on Jason's wife and daughter. They should've been protected but getting a call while in Moscow that they had been murdered was the final straw. Our government said their hands were tied, so much so that it could start a war. Their refusal to let us go in and do it our way was the start of the end working for the country that had always been home. We work for ourselves now, still the same team we have always been with one exception. Where once was my friend, my brother Charlie, his own brother Luke now took his place. Charlie's was another death I took hard but I know it won't be the last.

No attachments, no friendships except to the men in this room. I live like I've got nothing left to lose, I've been told which is the truth because I've not, I've already lost everything.

Thanking Gail for the coffee she handed to me, I sat down at the dining table, waiting for Jason to start.

"Our mission should we choose to accept it," he said, handing us all over a file.

"I'm waiting for the mission impossible music to start every time he says that" Elliot laughed and he's not the only one.

"Ok, joking aside. My contact is offering a pretty penny for us to deal with this guy."

"What's this… this Jack Hyde done" I asked, looking at his file.

"Looks like he's been sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong," Luke said, putting his file down on the table in front of him.

"Jack Hyde is a commissioning editor at a publishing company in Seattle called Seattle Independent publishing."

Mentioning Seattle, all eyes turned to me but I brushed it off, urging him to continue. I go back, only when it's absolutely necessary but other than that, I avoid it like the plague.

"That's his official job" Jason continued. "On the side, he is the man behind Conorist."

"What!" Elliot asked.

"Conorist, it's a conspiracy theorist magazine. Most ignore it."

"Not you," I asked Barney.

"No, you will be surprised by how much real information you can find out in magazines like that. The magazine got in a heap of trouble a few years back though. Released some information to the public that turned out to be true. You remember the Press Secretary's affair, it was Conorist that released the information into the public domain."

"What information does someone want this guy silencing for then," I asked Jason.

"Senator Blandino is up for re-election this year. Apparently, some information Hyde has on him, he has threatened to release. It could not only ruin his chances of re-election but could also embarrass his family too. He's desperate for us to stop it coming out."

"How did we go from shutting down terror operations to dealing with Senator's affairs," Luke asked.

"You didn't take down any terrorist, Charlie did," Elliot said, shutting Luke up.

Out of all of us, those two are the ones who don't see eye to eye. I think it's the fact that when Luke who was a cop before, came on board, he brought his attitude and ego with him. Elliot is the most easy going person you will meet but get in his face and he will knock you down.

"Guys, It doesn't matter how we came to be in this group. We're here, we stick together so cut out the fucking bickering" Jason told them both.

Seeing Elliot and Luke nod, we went back to our meeting.

"If Hyde has some information on the Senator, shouldn't we just let him get on with it. There are enough dishonest people in office, getting rid of one has to be a bonus" I told Jason.

"I understand what you mean but there is another side of it too. Besides being offered a pretty penny to deal with this guy, I have spoken to Welch who has confirmed Hyde has been a pain in the arse for him as well. Hyde has friends all over the country, some people who are only too happy to give out sensitive information for a price. Welch is wondering how long it will be before he releases something that compromises our national security."

"We go then," I told him.

"You guys," he asked the others, all who said they were in.

Having Welch on side who was actually our boss once upon a time, can only be a bonus for us, especially if we fuck up.

We spent a long time after memorising everything about this guy that was in the file. A publishing symposium of all places was our in, the last place you would expect a man like that to be. I read he keeps his apartment like a fortress back in Seattle, wears disguises to get around too. A hotel in Chicago where anyone can walk around isn't the safest place for him to be, especially when I've finished with him.

….

"The best thing about this job is the travelling, especially when I get the chance to be a tourist," Elliot said as we stood in Millennium Park.

"Yes, don't forget to take lots of photos," I told him, laughing as he pulled up his camera, snapping away, especially at the man who was sat on a bench opposite us, reading the newspaper he held.

"Don't you think he has enough to read, I mean he is in publishing?" Elliot asked me.

"Probably looking for his next victim to go after, the next target of his theories."

"As long as it's not us, I don't give a shit," he told me.

We had been observing Hyde since we arrived in Chicago yesterday and from what I've seen he's a jittery bastard when he's out in the open. At the moment, he had long hair, creating a curtain around his face and it was as fake as some of the stories he releases. It looked like he was waiting for someone or something but upon receiving a call on his phone, he finally got up to leave.

"Why the rush" Elliot asked as we watched Hyde practically run from the park.

"Who knows. Whatever he was waiting for though, he received with that call" I told him.

"Does he not realise that they have phones in the hotel."

"He's weird. Maybe he thinks being out in the open, no one can listen in to his calls."

"Well next time he does this we'll have to get Barney to hack into his phone instead of the hotel security like he is now," he told me.

"Elliot, there won't be a next time."

The hotel where Hyde was staying and also where the symposium is taking place had a computer malfunction this morning, all created by Barney. He's there now, getting their computers back online and making sure that when we need it, we will be in complete control of all systems and cameras too.

Feeling my phone beep in my pocket as we walked back to our car, I pulled it out.

 **Barney's clear, head back to base – Jason.**

I showed Elliot the message before sending one back to let him know we were on our way.

Tonight I would be in that hotel but for now, it's time to regroup.

….

I sat in the hotel bar watching my prey. Hyde had been up and down the stairs that led to the ballroom here so many times, it was like watching a yo-yo. He was looking for someone, waiting and whoever it was who had not arrived yet, was making him nervous as hell. I did notice how tightly he held onto his briefcase which considering tonight was the final night and party, made him look completely out of place.

Finally deciding to stay in the room for more than a few seconds, he took a seat at the bar, ordering himself a drink.

"Barney, where has he been," I asked, into the mic that was hidden in my sleeve.

"To the bathroom so many times, you would think he was incontinent. The female who I told you about is approaching the bar now."

I watching the door, waiting for the woman to appear as I faked taking a sip of my drink. The whisky touched my lips but that's as far as it went as I needed a clear head tonight.

A few seconds later a woman appeared, looking around for him. Spotting him at the bar, she made her way over.

She was beautiful, despite being a blond, a fact that would usually turn me off. Barney had told me about her earlier in the day, an assistant who had come from Seattle with him. With the way she spoke to him, he clearly made her uncomfortable, so much so she stayed a few feet away.

"Do we have a name for the blond?" I asked.

"Yes, Anastasia Steele. I've done a check on her, nothing, not even a speeding ticket."

Watching her retreat from the room, Hyde quickly pulled his phone from his pocket answering a call. Whoever he was speaking to, he didn't seem happy with what he was being told.

"Tomorrow then," he said angrily, loud enough for everyone to hear before ending his call.

As he called the barman over to get him another drink, I emptied mine into the plant by my side before leaving the room too.

I made my way up the stairs and into the ballroom, following behind a group of giggling women, all who kept looking my way. While here, I needed to choose my victim, well ally for the evening. I would've chosen the blond but despite her not liking the man, she was too close to him. Making my way over to the bar, I stood beside one of the women I had followed in here, who at the moment was trying to get the barman's attention to order a drink. She would do, for what I had planned anyway.

"What can I get you, sir," a flirty barmaid asked, coming down from the other end of the bar, which just pissed off the woman beside me.

"You could get this lady a drink," I told her before turning the charm on my new companion.

"Cosmopolitan" she giggled, smiling at me.

"You heard the lady and I will have a Bombay Sapphire with lime," I told the now disgruntled employee.

"Sir," she said, as I ignored the barmaid and turned to the woman beside me.

"Lexie," she said, holding her hand out for me to take hold of.

"Cameron" I lied, placing a kiss to the back of her hand.

"I haven't seen you at the symposium."

"Well as the owner of a publishing company, I've left it to my staff to be here. I've popped in from time to time but having other businesses as well leaves me a very busy man."

I could practically see the dollar signs rolling in her eyes at the lies I told her and I was saved by the bell when my phone rang.

"Are you staying here?" she asked as I pulled my phone from my pocket.

"Yes, are you."

"No, my boss is too much of a cheapskate to pay for a room here, so we're at a hotel across town. It's ok There's a club underneath, which is a great place to have a dance and a drink so that's one bonus. We might go there later when this thing quietens down" she told me suggestively as I answered the call.

"Rescue alert, rescue alert. Back away from the gold digger" Barney said down the phone as I tried to stifle a laugh. Putting on a serious face though, I excused myself, telling her I had problems at the office to deal with.

"You're leaving," she asked, practically begging me with her eyes to stay.

"Not if I can help it, I just have a few things to attend to. Maybe I can hit that club with you. Let loose for a bit" I told her, hearing that giggle again as I paid for her next round of drinks.

"I'll be here" she called after me.

I'm counting on it.

Leaving the ballroom behind, it was time to do the real work. I made my way up to the twelfth floor and let myself into the room we had booked here. I rolled my eyes when Barney looked away from the screens that had been set up, pointing his gun at me. It was quickly put away as his attention went back to the screens again.

"Did she strip you of all your valuables?" he asked me, as I made my way into the bathroom.

"I think she wanted to strip me of my virtue" I called out making him laugh as I looked through everything that was laid before me.

I had everything I would need for Christian Grey to disappear and the killer inside me to appear. I put on the maintenance uniform Barney had stolen earlier in the day, before hiding my clean shaven face underneath a full beard and moustache. Add to that a cap and gloves and once I had my mic and earpiece in place, I made my way back into the main room, making Barney jump when I placed my hand onto his shoulder.

"If I didn't know it was you, I would've shot you."

"Thanks for not shooting me then" I laughed. "How do I look."

"Like a serial killer," he told me, stating the truth.

"Good, everyone in position," I asked, into my mic, hearing everyone report in.

Making my way to the balcony door, I opened them before looking back to Barney.

"Tell me again why we couldn't get a room on the same floor as Hyde. I could've just jumped balconies, no need for a disguise then as no one else would see me."

"Where would the fun be in that, besides you would've ruined your suit," he said, as I shut the door behind me before climbing over the balcony wall and onto the ledge.

 _Why-why-why am I out here_ I thought, making my way along to the housekeeping area on this floor and why the fuck couldn't I just walk out of the hotel room door. In case I bumped into someone, especially someone who really worked here, that's why. We could control the camera's, delete the footage but we couldn't do anything about guests and staff walking around. A fire alarm would get rid of everyone but that would get rid of our opportunity with Hyde too. Considering I had four flights of stairs to go up to get to Hyde's floor, blending in and staying out of sight as best I could was the only way.

Thankfully I didn't run into anyone as I jogged up the stairs, not even breaking a sweat as I slowly opened the door onto the corridor.

"Take a left Christian" I heard Barney say. "Last door on the right."

I nodded, making my way quickly down to the door he had told me about, slipping quietly inside. Opening the window, I climbed out onto the ledge, four floors up from where I was before.

"Third balcony along. Be careful, the second balcony door is open and it looks like they're fucking inside" Jason told me.

"Perv," I said, hearing his laughter in my ear.

Jason was stationed in the building across, night vision goggles nearby no doubt. With the equipment we had, Jason could probably listen in on every word, could probably hear every grunt and groan coming from that room too.

As I navigated the ledge, climbing onto the first balcony of a room which was thankfully empty, I slowly made my way past the second, hearing the grunts and groans myself, which was good because they were occupied.

"Let's see if he's a two pump chump or can go all night" I heard Elliot say.

"God I'm dealing with a bunch of amateurs. Just in case, make sure you're ready to knock on their door with room service" I ordered, knowing they would probably be ordering something right now.

I finally reached Hyde's balcony, picking the lock to let myself inside his room, closing the curtains behind me again. I don't know if this guy was scared of the dark or something as he had left every light and lamp on.

"He has a fucking adjoining door to the assistant's room. No wonder he gives her the creeps" I told them.

"Is it open?" Jason asked.

"It is now," I told him, picking that lock too.

Where Hyde's room was a complete dump, Miss Steele's was pristine. Clothes were neatly piled on a chair, with one dress hanging in the closet.

Her room I checked in seconds before I locked the door again and moved onto Hyde's. Last nights dinner it looked like was still sat on the side and his clothes were strewn on the floor. Making my way into the bathroom, it was just as dirty in here.

"When did this fucker check in," I asked.

"The day before yesterday, why."

"This place is a shit hole. I live in a shit hole and it's not as bad as this."

"Christian, something's going on with Hyde and Miss Steele. Hold on a sec, I just want to check something" Barney said.

While I waited for him to come back to me, I continued to look around the room. When he did come back he was pissed and it takes a lot to piss Barney off. "He's spiked her drink. She can barely stand and he's acting like the concerned boss, helping her up to her room. They just got on the elevator."

"If I had any reservations about killing the bastard before, I certainly don't now" I said, looking around for the best place to hide.

I spotted his closet, getting myself comfortable inside. He obviously wasn't using it considering the state of the room.

"She's had too much to drink. A lightweight aren't you Ana" Hyde said loudly, as he passed his door, heading to Miss Steele's room. Her door was soon opened before being quickly closed again.

"Who's he speaking to," I asked quietly.

"An elderly couple who were on the elevator with them."

I could hear his voice clearly, although I could only hear moans from her. Opening the adjoining door between the rooms, I watched him struggle to move her, keeping her upright with one arm, while carrying his briefcase and her purse with the other. I wanted to get out of this closet and pull her away, hating people like him. I had to wait though, wait for the perfect opportunity to deal with this piece of shit, giving him no chance to shout out for help. That chance though will come very soon.

As he moved her towards his bedroom, I watched as if in slow motion he threw his briefcase and her purse onto the table. The problem was he threw them too hard, sending everything across the table before falling to the floor.

"Fucking hell" he groaned, looking at the mess before continuing to pull her towards his bed.

"What was that" I heard Jason ask.

"He's just thrown his briefcase and her purse towards the table, missing it completely. I'm not sure if his briefcase was locked before but it's now open and the contents of it and the purse are everywhere" I whispered.

I watched him pass me, going back into her room, before going out of that door and coming in through his own. Shit, the guy is an amateur. Does he not think that if he lies at what he's doing, having the adjoining door will blow his story to shit.

"What the fuck is he doing," Jason asked.

"Playing musical doors... dick," I said, pulling my weapon of choice for this evening from my pocket. A little tablet that once he swallows it, he will be having a heart attack within minutes. Not my preferred way to deal with a piece of shit like him but it had to look natural and bullets don't do that.

I watched him for a moment, standing over her before he started to remove her shoes. Throughout she mumbled no, a word this bastard was ignoring. His shoes were the only thing I let him take off before moving out from my hiding place.

Hyde was too preoccupied with her to notice the man coming up behind him. He was too busy drooling to feel me breathing down his neck.

"We're going to have so much fun, aren't we Ana," he said placing his hand onto her leg.

"I believe the lady said no" I whispered menacingly in his ear.

He didn't have time to move his head before my hand came down over his mouth silencing any screams. I turned us away from the woman, forcing the tablet into his mouth and made sure he swallowed it, before releasing him to fall on the end of the bed.

I knew it wouldn't take long to start working and in moments he was shaking and clutching his chest.

"You little lady, don't need to see this," I said, picking the woman up and carried her back to her own room and placed her onto her bed.

"Help me" she mumbled, stopping my movements as I turned back to her, and looked into beautiful blue eyes. It was like she was looking straight at me but was struggling to focus before she gave up and closed her eyes again.

"I am," I mumbled, before leaving her, going back into his room again where I started to pick up the contents of her purse and collect her shoes too.

Some items were easy to identify as they were under her upturned purse. Those went in first, followed by everything else I could see that she would have. Why some women need to carry everything but the kitchen sink with them I don't know but all that was left by the time I had finished was the papers that I had seen fall from his briefcase.

Placing her purse onto the dresser, I looked at the woman for a final time. She was sleeping now, although she would feel like shit in the morning.

I locked and bolted the adjoining door on her side before leaving by the balcony, locking that door behind me too. Entering Hyde's room the way I had come in originally, he was still lay on the end of the bed.

He didn't deserve to die on this soft bed for what he had tried to do, so I picked him up, taking a few steps toward the window before releasing him to which he fell to the floor, landing on the briefcase.

"Seems like the president is on his list," I said, looking at one of the papers that now surrounded him.

"Fuck fake news, whatever Hyde has on him will no doubt be the truth," Barney said in my ear.

I looked at the other papers that were around, noticing a few prominent names but nothing about the Senator we were working for.

Before I left the room, I bolted the adjoining door on his side knowing if anyone came to ask her questions there would be no way for her to get into his room. He had left hers, returning to his own room, the cameras that were running in the corridor would confirm that. Add to that his cause of death being a heart attack, and nothing suspicious would be found no matter what test they did on him.

Hearing him take his final breath, I left by the balcony, locking it behind me. I made my way across the balcony's, past the couple who were now having room service pizza, courtesy of our good selves and into the service area again. There was a bathroom in here so I removed my uniform and disguise, putting everything in a trash bag before going back to the window for one final time.

"Catch," I said, dropping the bag down to Elliot where he was now waiting below.

"Got it" he grunted before I checked in with Barney that the coast was clear.

"Old man has just got off the elevator and is slowly coming your way. You will have to pass him if you leave now or you could wait" he said, knowing which option I would choose.

I looked around, seeing a room service trolley that although had been cleared, still held a champagne bucket and an empty bottle. I undid the bow-tie that I still wore before I picked up the bottle, knowing I only had a window of a few seconds to get out of this room before the old man rounded the corner of the corridor and into the small area outside of this room.

I walked forward bottle in hand, staggering around the corner and nearly knocked him over.

"My apppoolllgiess" I stuttered, falling into the wall.

"My god the youth of today" he grumbled, walking past me and headed into the room that was next to the service area.

"He's gone" Barney laughed as I reached the elevator, dumping the bottle in a large plant there. "Time for you to get out of there too."

"Don't worry, I'm going" I told him, redoing my bow tie as the elevator went down to the reception. Giving the valet the ticket to get my car, I made my way to the ballroom.

I had been gone an hour, would she have waited, probably as she was in it for the millions I didn't have. I got my answer as soon as I walked in the door, getting knocked back as the woman launched herself into my arms, placing her lips on my own.

I was quick to get out of her hold, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as if I was happy to see her.

"You didn't leave," she said happily.

"No, my business took longer than I had hoped. Are you ready to leave?" I asked.

"Yes, my friend Candice wants to come too, is that ok," she asked as a woman came up to join us.

"Of course, the more the merrier," I told her, smiling at her friend before wrapping my arm around her shoulder too.

Going out in a large group makes me less noticeable than walking out alone so as we walked past the reception, I asked the concierge to call a cab. To any onlookers, who did see me, it would look like I was being a gentleman, making sure the drunken women safely got a cab home.

The two women were back to giggling between themselves, especially when another friend came up too. They think they're in for a night of fun, but it won't be on me.

As we made our way out of the hotel, I nodded to the valet, telling him that I would be one minute before approaching the waiting cab.

"Ladies," I said, gesturing for them to get in first.

Their giggles thankfully drowned out my conversation with the cab driver who I paid a hefty tip to, informing him to get down the road before finding out where to take them.

Watching him drive away, I could hear the protests from the women, shouting that he had left me behind. Turning my back on them, I approached my own car, getting in.

As I heard the engine roar of the R8 I drove, I pulled away from the hotel, tyres squealing. For the first time tonight, I could relax and enjoy the music I played on the radio, relax and congratulate myself on a job well done.

In the days that followed though, those congratulations would turn to worry as I realised up in that room, how much I had fucked up.

 **Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it.**

 **I know some will pick up on the fact that Ana is a blond, but not only will that change a few chapters down the line but it will be explained why too.**

 **The team part of the story, the guns for hire too came about as I spent last summer introducing my son to my favourite television show as a child, The A-Team. He lost interest pretty quickly, preferring his x-box to my trip down memory lane. I still enjoyed it though, watching every episode that had been made. Unlike in the A-Team though, bullets will hit their targets in this story and people will die, just not anyone you would care about.**

 **With regards to the tablet that Christian gave Hyde, I have no idea if is a real thing and to be honest I didn't want to google how to give someone a heart attack in case I had the police knocking down my door. So for this story, any special forces gadgets, killer tablets and anything I dream up are for the sake of this story only.**

 **Until next time, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	2. Chapter 2

CPOV

I sat quietly listening to Jason speak on the phone and from his actions he was trying to stay calm. Whoever it was was not happy about something or someone and he was letting his feelings be known.

"Don't question my team" Jason said, menacingly as the other voice quietened down. "If you have a problem with one of us, you have a problem with us all. You asked us to do a job, one that was carried out perfectly as was instructed."

I felt a kick to my leg under the dining table where we were all assembled before I turned to Elliot who mouthed Senator to me.

I nodded going over everything in my mind from that night, not finding anything that I had done wrong. Those blue eyes come to mind, but she was out of it, not able to focus on anything especially me. No, there is nothing I had done wrong, with what I had been instructed to do anyway.

"Fucker" Jason spat, ending the call, practically smashing the phone down onto the table.

"What did I do," I asked him.

"Nothing, your mission went without a hitch. He has his knickers in a twist about something, what though he's not letting on."

"So let me get this straight. He called you to complain about something that he won't tell you about" Luke stated.

"That sounds about right" Jason laughed. "Remind me never to work for anyone in government again, they're all crooks."

"I'll drink to that" Elliot said, pulling some beers from the fridge before handing them around.

"If you all get drunk, you sleep where you fall," Gail told us as we joined her outside, making a circle around their firepit.

I had to smile seeing Jason sit next to Gail, wrapping his arm around her. For a few years after he lost his wife and daughter, I never thought my friend would smile again. He still grieves for them both, a fact Gail completely understands which created a special place in his heart for her.

"I have to drive home Gail, so don't worry, you won't have to step over me," I told her, seeing her smile.

"Stay, the rest of the ragged rabble are."

"I'll be fine, besides I don't think I could handle Luke's snoring."

She laughed at the look on Luke's face as I turned to Jason when Barney asked him a question.

"Do we have anything on over the next couple of weeks?"

"Why, do you have plans, a date even" Jason teased him.

"I'm married to my computer you all know that. Belinda gives me all the attention I need," he added, making us laugh. "I was thinking of visiting a nice beach, somewhere hot, so hot that bathing suits, well bikini tops aren't necessary."

"Barney you won't last five minutes without Wi-Fi or your computer. You would be climbing the walls or running down the beach screaming for the Wi-Fi password" I told him.

"No I won't" he protested, although he had a smirk on his face knowing I was right.

"He didn't even last two minutes last time we were somewhere hot and we weren't even on vacation then" Elliot reminded us, ducking when Barney threw an empty beer can at him.

This is what I loved about this group, our team. The way we could come together when we were doing a job and wind each other us when we were relaxing.

I didn't stay there that night despite Gail asking me again to. I arrived back home long after the sun had gone down, the moon, the only light showing me the way.

Leaving the house once I had made sure everything was as it should be, I was back on the beach again.

My mind at the moment was flitting between Miss Steele and what happened in that room, going over everything once again. Like we always do after we finish a job, we keep an eye on the news to see if anything comes up. There was a small article in the press about a body being found in the hotel but like I thought it would be, a heart attack is what it had been put down to. Nothing suspicious the police reported it as and that is how it will stay.

Blue eyes was young, a lot younger than my thirty years, and scared of her own shadow I would bet. Where she was now or how she was doing I didn't know and if I was honest with myself, I shouldn't care but I do. The not knowing what the Senator was complaining about was bugging me and only when I find out what that was would I finally relax.

…

I woke the next morning to my alarm, pulling my running shorts on. Even when I'm not getting up for anything in particular, my alarm is always set. Blame the army for that as being up on time was one of the first things that was drummed into my head. That and making sure everything was clean.

Looking around my home now, if my first commanding officer was here, he would probably have a heart attack at the mess.

I didn't bother with running shoes as I took off down my small beach. I had about half a mile of sand to myself and by the time I'd passed the house for the eighth time, I was finally starting to sweat. For an autumn day, it was actually fine and the sun was out up above. I knew how quickly that could change though so as I reached the cliff face on my twelfth turn, I slowed to a walk and made my way back.

I picked up a plastic bottle that had been washed up, leaving the driftwood where it lay. With everything going on, that was one of the things that pissed me off the most. How hard was it to put the bottle in the bin like I did when I got back. How hard was it to save the only planet we had, even if it was one bottle at a time?

I dried my hands, picking up my ringing phone, hearing Elliot on the line.

"What U doing," he asked, sounding between bored and hungover.

"Picking up the trash," I told him.

"Oooo was there blood involved. If so, why wasn't I invited" he asked.

"Not that kind of trash... what's up, how's your head."

"I have a family of woodpeckers that have moved in but that's not why I'm calling. Jason asked me to call you, he's been asked to go and meet with the Senator."

"What about," I asked, turning a chair around and sat down.

"I would have a guess at our last mission but with that guy, who knows."

"I don't remember fucking up Elliot. I've been over it again and again in my mind and I can't think of anything."

"Don't sweat it brother, I just wanted to give you a heads up to what's going on. Maybe he wants us to get rid of his wife if Hyde was about to reveal an affair."

"He can piss off then, as he would probably only complain that I hadn't killed her the right way."

"Fuck off" I heard him say to someone who I can only guess was Luke. Those two are like chalk and cheese but they do work well together.

"You two need to fight out whatever your problems are."

"My problem is his shitty attitude most of the time, his problem is with the fact that Charlie was closer to us than him. I've given him plenty of chances."

"I know Elliot but reminding him that he's the outsider and that he hasn't done any real work with us is going to bring that attitude out. Jason brought him onto the team as he had skills that could help us. He can never replace Charlie though, just like no one can replace any of us, including Luke."

"I'll work with him but it doesn't mean I have to like him. He needs to check the attitude and prove himself before he gets that."

"I know, call me if you need anything. I'm going to clear this place us."

"HALLELUJAH, IT'S A MIRACLE" he shouted.

"Fuck off" I laughed, ending the call.

I did need to clean this place up and with the fact that it took me all day just shows how bad it was. It wasn't dirty as such, just messy, organised chaos as I tell everyone. A fact everyone disagrees with me on.

It was approaching nightfall and I had just finished my dinner on the deck when I heard an alarm sound from inside the house. I left my empty dishes behind, rushing inside to look at the monitors which I hadn't even reached when the alarm turned itself off. That would only happen if someone had scanned themselves in and entered the gate code and only the team, including Gail, knows what that is.

Flicking a switch, all the spotlights came on blinding everyone in the approaching cars.

"Fucker, I'm blind," Jason complained, getting out of his car, followed by the others all rubbing their eyes.

"A little warning would've been nice," I told him, smacking his outstretched hand.

"Sorry, it was important," he said, and I knew he was being serious now.

They all followed me through the house and back onto the deck where my discarded dishes were. I got rid of them before going back out, beers in hand although, by the look on Jason's face, I might need something a bit stronger.

"What's going on," I asked, taking a seat once I had handed the drinks over.

"We've been offered a new job, one we've been practically begged to take on."

"What is it," I asked, taking the file from him before he handed everyone else one.

As I opened it, my stomach dropped.

"No," I said, straight away.

"Christian here me out before you say that."

"I won't kill an innocent Jason."

"Innocents die every day, we all know that," Luke said, and just like Elliot had said many times before, I wanted to tell him to shut the fuck up.

"Christian, I haven't said we would take this job or any other for that arsehole, I just want to let you know what's going on," Jason told me.

"Ok, I'm listening," I said, pissed off that we were even discussing this.

"The night you killed Hyde, he was due to meet with a reporter to hand over some information on Blandino. That reporter was found dead in New York, a victim of a robbery I hear."

"Robbery, my arse" Elliot said and I had to agree. I don't believe that it was a coincidence that this specific reporter happened to be at that one point in time, just in time to be killed.

"I agree with you, which brings another problem but we will get back to that later. The information that Hyde was due to hand over, Blandino now thinks Miss Steele has."

"And you believe that," I asked.

"That she may now be in possession of that information yes, that she knows about it, no. You said his briefcase and her purse were scattered when he threw them off the table. Did you see any disc, memory stick in the mess."

"No. Pens, lipstick, wallet, keys, everything a woman has in there. I just picked everything up that wasn't his papers and put them in her purse before putting it back into her room. Fuck Jason, if I've inadvertently given her this information, she's in danger because of me."

"You didn't know Christian. Blandino asked you to kill Hyde, he never asked us to look for a file of any kind. This has been little bits of information here and there from the start."

"And now he wants us to kill her, no I won't do it. If you take this job, leave me out of it."

"You'd walk away from the team," Luke asked me as I got up from my chair, turning towards the beach as my brothers protested at his words.

As always my baby sister entered my mind. One innocent I couldn't protect.

"I won't kill a young woman, an innocent who has done nothing wrong but work for this dick," I said turning back to face this man. "This has nothing to do with our team, it's to do with making this right. This reporter that was killed, do we know who by."

"No. I didn't know anything about it until Blandino said Hyde was meeting with him. Murders in New York aren't really front page news any more."

"Do we know where she lives?" I asked, walking back to my chair where I had left the file.

"Tacoma, she lives with her mother according to this" Barney said.

"How old is she, she looks really young," Elliot asked, flipping through his own file. "Shit."

"What," I asked him.

"Look at her birth-date."

I turned back to the front page, looking at the general information on her. My stomach dropped when I saw her birthday and especially when it confirmed her age. She had turned twenty the day after the symposium. She was drugged, could've been raped and found her bosses body on her birthday, that's some shitty gift.

"She's young, cute" Luke said.

"Young compared to who," Barney asked, looking at the photo of her that had been taken in the hotel.

"All of us. Christian may be the youngest but he's still ten years older than her."

"What the fuck has her age got to do with anything," Jason asked. "Ten, twenty or fifty years older, it doesn't matter. We need to decide what to do."

"Sort this mess out and protect her from Blandino's shit," I told him.

"It's not that simple," Jason told me. "If Blandino has spoken to others about this, she will be in hiding for the rest of her life."

"We shoot Blandino then, get rid of him and anyone else who poses a threat to her" I said, getting pissed now.

"Why are you getting so worked up over a woman you don't even know," Luke asked me.

"BECAUSE SHE'S IN DANGER BECAUSE OF ME, BECAUSE I FUCKED UP. I WON'T WATCH ANOTHER INNOCENT DIE, NOT IF I CAN FUCKING HELP IT."

I could see my words had startled him but he was starting to piss me off. Maybe I should shoot him and Blandino, I might get some peace then.

"We need to contact her," I said more calmly now. "Find out what she knows and then go from there. If we find nothing, maybe we can convince Blandino that there is nothing to find and we can all go on with our merry fucking lives."

"Whatever Blandino is looking for has to be bad as that guy was quaking in his boots" Jason admitted.

"I have a question," Elliot said as we all turned to him.

"How did the Senator know that Hyde didn't have the information any more. I know you said nothing could be found but who was looking in that hotel room to determine something was lost. I mean finding a body the police would be called and they would've no doubt found the paperwork that Christian had seen but they wouldn't have known that something was missing."

"He has a good point there," Luke said, as we looked at him shocked that he had actually agreed with something Elliot had said.

"Someone else was there," I said. "Someone came in to clean the room after I had left and I don't mean vacuum. Thank god I locked the adjoining door on both sides."

"But who," Barney asked.

"Someone who wouldn't look out of place. We got in there easy enough, someone else could."

"Easy for us, yes, but a civilian couldn't have traversed the ledges and balcony's like you did or get into that room."

"A professional then. Barney do you still have the camera footage on file" I asked him.

"Yes, but only on the floors that we needed. I didn't record the whole hotel."

"Ok, look at it and see what you can find out. The sooner we know who else Blandino has on the books the better" Jason said.

"I would bet whoever it is, got rid of the reporter too" Elliot added.

"He was killed in New York though, not Chicago," Luke said.

"We know but what's to say that he didn't kill him beforehand. I mean Hyde spoke to someone on the phone, could the reporter have already been dead and he was speaking to his killer" Elliot asked.

"All these questions are giving me a headache," I said, rubbing my temple.

"Ok, we will meet up in the morning. I will tell Blandino that we will take the job" Jason said, as I was about to open my mouth to protest. "We need to buy some time until we find out who else is in on this Christian. If he thinks we're dealing with it, there is no need to send anyone else in."

"Tomorrow," I said, as they all got up to leave, everyone except for Elliot.

I knew as he opened another beer, he was here for the night.

...

"Stephen Morton, he's a cop with Seattle PD," Barney said, showing his photo around. "He entered the room about an hour after you left, went in through the door like the amateur he is. He obviously didn't expect anyone to look at the camera footage as he could've just been a guest going to his room but he was in there for an hour before leaving again."

"I don't get it," Elliot said. "If Blandino has a cop working for him, why hire us. Why not get him to do the job."

"Have you seen the guy?" Luke asked. "The fat bastard wouldn't have got through the window, never mind onto the ledge."

"Did he go near her room?" I asked Barney, ignoring the fact that Elliot and Luke were laughing together for once as I moved her photo in front of his.

"He stopped outside of her door but moved on when he heard voices coming up the corridor."

"Christian, what do you want to do, it's your call," Jason asked me but it was Gail who spoke next, calling us all to come into the house.

"Gail what's wrong," Jason asked as we joined her in their living room. She didn't answer, she just pointed to the TV, turning it up.

"It's on all the news channels," she told us.

A reporter was speaking on the screen and across the ticker at the bottom, Jack Hyde's name was displayed.

The reporter stopped speaking then as a video started to play with Hyde sat front and centre.

 _If this file has been released then I'm dead and I doubt it would've been of natural causes._

 _For years I have been ridiculed when people have refused to hear the truth and just like in life, I will not be silenced in death._

 _Our country is run by the most dishonest and deceitful people, from the bottom to the top. Despite me no longer being here, the truth will still come out, starting with Seattle's own Senator, William Blandino._

 _Senator Blandino won his election on saving the state from high levels of crime but as you can see by these photos, he's the man behind it._

We watched as the video's played out and photo after photo was shown of Blandino. He had been filmed in a shooting range, which considering he said he's opposed to all guns, was sporting a semi-automatic rifle in one film. The photos were not much better, continuing on and on before ending with him down at the docks in Seattle, standing by who I know is behind most of the crime there. It looked like weapons were being smuggled in and from the smiles on their faces, they were very happy about that. Every photo was as damming as the next and I knew now why he was so desperate for us to deal with this man.

 _Two weeks, that's all you have, two weeks before the next file is released. If you have done wrong to this country then I suggest you run and hide now because alive or dead, I'm coming for you._

As the video ended, I turned to Jason, his face as shocked as my own.

"It's all over the internet," Barney said. "He must have had something set up so that if he doesn't check in on his computer within an allotted time, the file's released."

"There's another timer ticking now which makes this situation worse than before," I said.

"How so," Jason asked

"Because if word gets out that Anastasia has one file, people are going to think she has the other. Who knows what is in this second file that Hyde has. It could reveal more on Blandino or more importantly who he associates with. I know Hyde is wanting to reveal the truth but by doing so, he's just put a target on her back, or more like, I have."

"Christian" Jason sighed, shaking his head as he would never believe this was on me. "As I said before, what do you want to do."

I looked at them all, knowing I was just about to drag them into hell but I couldn't turn and walk away.

"We go in, find her and see if she has this information. We go in and grab her before anyone else can."

 **Thank you for reading and thank you all for your interest in my story. I'm really enjoying writing this one.**

 **I was speaking with some of the ladies in one of the Facebook groups I'm in about the age difference between Christian and Ana and what would be classed as ok and what would feel weird. Ten years seemed to be most people's preference as I needed Christian to be as experienced as he is and for Ana to be still at home with her mother.**

 **You will learn more about that next chapter which will be Ana's point of view where she will bump into Christian again…. and again.**

 **At the moment, I'm not sure when that will be as it's my birthday Monday and I will be out then and Tuesday being spoiled by my eldest boys.**

 **I'm aiming for Wednesday but if there is a chance it's finished before then, I will publish it as soon as I can.**

 **Until then, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	3. Chapter 3

APOV

"Anastasia, ANASTASIA" my mother screeched before banging on my door.

"I'm up" I called back, watching the door handle shake before I heard her walk away.

I turned back to the mirror, looking at the young woman who was looking back at me. It was hard to believe some days that I had been bullied for being chubby as a child especially when I see my face looking so gaunt. My mother was another thing I was bullied for but there was nothing I could do about that.

Bringing my hand up to touch my hair, I hated what I saw. Blond had been her idea, my mothers. Being blond would give me the attention I needed, to get a good job, she told me when she had sat me down in the kitchen one day and practically poured a bottle of bleach onto my head. It was a mess, my scalp burnt, my clothes ruined, just like I felt inside. What was worse was the fact that I would get no job with the way I looked so not having any money then, she had to pay out for a stylist to come in and make things right. I was blamed for that, just like I was for everything else so there was nothing new in that.

I could hear them move about the apartment, my mother and whoever had stayed last night. I knew I couldn't stay in this room forever but behind this door, with the bolt locked was the only place I felt safe.

"Anastasia, I told you to get up" she shouted again and I knew I could not get away with staying in my room any longer. I just had to open the door and see what the day had to offer, knowing it would be just as miserable as the last.

I had one chance to get away from here but that ended the day my boss died. With no Mr Hyde there, there was no job for me either. Despite being the creepy man that he was, he had given me a chance when no one else would.

I had no qualifications, no diplomas, I can thank my mother for that as she moved us around constantly when the neighbours took offence to a whore living next door. Any bit of money that was left to me when my father died was swiftly sniffed or drunk by her. I'm no longer a teenager, I'm a young woman now but my future's as bleak as before. I can't see anything changing unless I can afford to get out of here but having her take or steal everything I had, there was little chance of that.

I opened my bedroom door, looking back for a moment to make sure nothing was left out or on display. It wouldn't be the first time my mother has gone through my things or taken what little money I had.

"Well who do we have here," a man asked as I entered the kitchen where my mother, still in just a bathrobe was cooking something on the stove. "You disappeared pretty quickly last night."

"This is my daughter Anastasia, Liam," my mother said, coming to stand in between us, obviously not liking the attention this man was giving to me.

"She sure is a beauty, Carla," he said, as I felt my stomach roll at the revulsion I felt.

"I will be going out to look for a job," I said to her, ignoring him completely especially as he stepped closer to me.

"Really, you've done a shit job of it so far," she told me, holding up some opened letters in front of her that were obviously addressed to me.

"What are they."

"Rejection letters. You're so incompetent, you couldn't even get a job at the flea pit."

"I tried," I said, taking a step back when she got in my face. "Everyone wants qualifications and I missed out because we moved."

"DON'T PUT THIS ON ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH" She spat.

I should've seen it coming but I was rooted to the spot in fear. When her hand hit my cheek, I was rocked backwards.

"I'll try, I promise" I sobbed bringing my hand up to my cheek.

"Make sure you find one. I'm sick of you living off me and the hard earned money I make."

"You certainly worked me hard last night," Liam said, smacking my mother's arse as I rushed to make my exit before I was sick.

I quickly left the apartment, making my way down the stairs and out onto the street. Here just like upstairs, I felt uncomfortable, especially seeing beer cans laying on the steps of my building and their owners leering at me.

If they were to list the most dangerous places to live in this state, I would be living in the middle of one. Ignoring the men's jeers, I started to walk the familiar route into the city.

As usual, the rain started to fall, soaking quickly through the thin jacket I wore and blending in with my tears. Once I got to the library, it would be warm and dry and hopefully, I could warm up too. Unfortunately, there were no jobs going there, I had already asked.

I finally had the library in sight, although it was down at the end of the street. Keeping my head lowered slightly to keep the rain off my face, I continued on. I didn't realise what I had hit at first before strong yet gentle hands came up to steady me.

"I'm so sorry," I said, looking at the coffee cup that had hit the floor and the steaming coffee around our feet.

"It's alright, no harm done," he said, finally releasing me.

I felt bereft for a moment as his gentle touch was not something I was used to, having experienced my mother's temper on many occasions over the years.

"Thank you, for catching me. I need to buy you another cup."

"No, no you don't. Don't worry about it ok" he told me.

"Thank you," I said, prepared to continue on my way. His words stopped me though.

"A beautiful woman shouldn't cry."

"I'm sorry, what did you say."

"I said, a beautiful woman shouldn't cry."

"Do I know you, you look…. familiar," I asked.

"No, maybe you've seen me in Billy's Coffee Shop," he said, nodding towards the door where he had just come out from.

"Maybe. Once again, I thank you for catching me. I will make sure I'm looking where I'm going next time."

"As I said, no harm was done. You have a good day."

I nodded at his words, going on my way but knowing today would not be better than any other that had come before.

I didn't look back at him for fear of confusing those feelings of the moment that he held me. If I had looked back though, I would've seen him speaking into his wrist as he watched me leave.

I pulled my jacket closer around me although I could feel the cold down to my bones. I was preparing to run for the steps up to the library when a man caught my attention.

He was sat in the bus shelter, his clothes looking worn just like my own. He was asking passers-by for some change, all who were ignoring him as if he wasn't even there. I moved closer, sheltering from the rain for a moment before I reached into my purse. I didn't have a lot, not that I ever had a lot even when I worked with what my mother charged me to live in the apartment. This man though, who was trying to keep warm in this bus shelter, looked like he had even less than me.

"Do you have some change please?" he asked, rattling a paper cup in front of him which only had a few coins inside.

Taking one of the few dollars I had left, I slipped it inside the cup.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a lot myself," I told him, seeing a smile behind his scruffy grey beard.

"Any help is much appreciated," he told me.

I nodded, looking out of the shelter, knowing there was no chance that the rain would let up so I said my goodbyes before running up the stairs and into the library, getting more wet on the way.

"You're going to catch a cold my dear" Shelly, the librarian said to me. "And what in heavens name happened to your face."

"I ran into someone on the way here, getting knocked over in the process," I told her which in a way was nearly the truth. "Do you have the papers yet."

"Yes, if old Graham has finished with them. Go and tell him it's your turn."

I smiled, pulling my jacket from my arms which seemed to be stuck to me. I walked over to Graham, smiling once more when he raised his eyebrow at me.

"You want these" he teased, seeing the wanted smile come on my face.

"Yes please, I need to find a job," I told him seriously.

"Something will come up Ana dear, something better than you ever imagined, taking you away from this dump."

"Always the optimist."

"No, I'm a realist. You may not have those qualifications that those big companies think you need. There is so much more to life than a piece of paper."

"I will remember that when I call on you for a reference."

"You do that dear, send them all to me."

He got up from his seat as I looked through the papers towards the employment section. Experience needed, experience needed, experience needed, that's all that was written for job after job, either that or qualifications that I don't possess. How does someone get the experience if no one is going to give them the chance in the first place? Are they that much of a professional establishment that they need the experience to work there, that's something I highly doubt with some of the places that were listed here. No, I just think they're too lazy to train someone up for the job.

"Any luck," Shelly asked me.

"A few look promising, phone operator," I told her.

"You're good at chatting, let me see," she said as I showed her the job listing for phone sex operator before she scrunched the paper up in her hands. "Not on your nelly."

I had to giggle at her words which made her smile as I cannot remember the last time I laughed. I remember the last time I really smiled, being told that I would be going to Chicago and we all know how that turned out.

As I left the library, late that afternoon, it was just starting to get dark. I looked towards the bus shelter, seeing it was empty so I hoped the man had a better place to go than to where I'm heading now.

As I entered the apartment, for once it was quiet, no groans or panting through the walls. That was because the man was in the kitchen, helping himself to the food I had hoped to eat when I came in, a different man than before.

"Well, I didn't expect two for the price of one but I'm not the type of man to turn anything down," he said, stepping towards me.

"Don't touch me" I spat, trying to get around him when he started to block my way.

"Ok come on, I don't hurt, much. Besides, I paid her for the night and she's knocked out cold."

As he reached for a piece of hair that had come loose from my ponytail, I smacked his arm away.

"I said, don't touch me."

I pushed him aside, running to my room, hearing his laughter following me behind. Locking my door, I reached for the knife I kept under the bed before sinking down to the floor. I was angry, more at myself than anything else as I had let the tears that had already fallen today, come back.

We had lived like this ever since my dad had died, although if truth be known, I had a feeling my mother was sleeping around before then.

I miss dad. He had been my hero, my best friend throughout the twelve years of my life that he had been there. He was a cop, responding to a call from a hysterical woman who had said her ex-husband was holding her son hostage. He had thrown her out of the front door but refused to let the boy go.

Dad had gone with Shane his partner and neither of them had come home. The man who had eventually been taken down by a sniper from the building opposite had open fired on dad and Shane as soon as they got out of the car.

Dad would help anyone in distress, that's just the type of man he was. I just wish he was here so he could help now because the one in distress was me.

….

I didn't sleep much that night, sneaking out of my bedroom as soon as it was light so I could avoid a repeat of yesterday.

I was thankful that not only was the coast clear out onto the street and I had not been hassled by anyone, that the rain was holding off as well. My jacket was still damp from yesterday but being the only one I had, I had to make do.

I walked around for a while until I knew the library would be open. I didn't bump into anyone outside Billy's today, although if I'm honest, I did take a look through the window to see if he was inside. I berated myself then, seeing my reflection in the window and knowing what a sight I looked.

The man was back in the bus shelter again, wrapped up in what looked like an old sleeping bag. He looked dry so maybe he was able to get into one of the homeless shelters overnight.

"Do you have change for a hot drink?" he asked a man who ignored him walking past.

I walked over to him, gaining his attention along with a smile.

"You look a little drier today," he said to me as I looked in my purse.

"So do you. How do you do it, out here in all weathers."

"It's a matter of necessity over pride. Choice over, oh, I don't know. I lost most of everything long ago so there are not many options for someone like me."

"I know how that feels" I mumbled but from the look on his face, I know he heard me. "You try and have a good day," I said, holding out the last dollar I had to him.

He took it carefully as if I was giving him the greatest treasure instead of the money it is.

I walked up the steps towards the library, knowing that I didn't have enough left now for my own drink should I desire one. It didn't matter though because no matter the hell I live through every day, there is always someone worse off than me.

Looking through the papers and using the computer that gave me access to the jobs that were available in the surrounding areas, I was becoming desperate at the lack of options for me.

"Have you thought about taking the GED" Shelly asked, putting some books back on the shelf behind me.

"I started it but just like with never getting the chance to finish high school because we moved, I didn't get the chance to finish that too. I was going to start it again this year but then I got a job."

"And you thought you wouldn't need it," she said.

"Having that job was the first bit of stability I have had in so long Shelly. It wasn't that I wouldn't need it, I just thought I would have more time."

"If you want something bad enough, you make the time," she said, smiling, before going back to her work.

That's easy to say when you live in a nice warm house and you don't have to worry about what's going to happen from one minute to the next. If I'm honest with myself, I've not taken the GED again because I'm sick of failing the things I start, failing them because of her. I want, no I need to be in the position where I can do these things without wondering if it's safe to close my eyes at night.

I stayed as long as I could in the library that day, leaving as they were turning out the lights. I had applied for a few positions with Shelly's help, knowing nothing would probably come from them. I can say I tried though and as my dad always said, you can't expect anything if you don't even try.

Making my way down the steps in front of the library, I was sad to see the homeless man still there. I don't know what time the shelters opened around here but if he was going for one, I would think he should have left by now.

Seeing this man here yesterday and today made me think of what life is like on the streets. Living where I do, do I have it better than most or am I safer in this shelter with him.

Seeing me stood watching him, he got to his feet. I was about to apologise for staring when a white van pulled up beside him.

I was worried as I know some of these homeless people have had trouble with idiots who complain that the tone of the place is being lowered by seeing them around. This place couldn't get any lower than the bottom where it is.

Emerging from the van was a man with brown wavy hair. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed to give this man some aggravation when he turned to face me.

I felt him then, felt the hand come over my mouth as I was lifted off my feet and carried to the waiting van door. I screamed, I really did but there was no one around to help.

"Please, please" I cried being dropped down onto a seat as the door was closed behind us. "Please, I don't have anything."

"We know that," the homeless man said.

I didn't even realise he was here as I was frozen in fear. As I looked towards the man who had picked me up, I got another shock too.

It was him, the man who I had run into yesterday but there was more to him than that. As the pieces started to form in my mind it was his eyes that I remembered the most. Those eyes that I had begged to help me when I was unable to move. I also know the man those eyes belonged to was the man who killed Jack too.

"We won't hurt you," he said but I just shook my head.

"You killed Jack. You expect me to believe that you won't kill me too."

He sighed, shaking his head as the van started to move. I could feel the panic build inside me now as I knew they were taking me away.

"I did kill him. He was someone who would and has caused a lot of trouble for the government."

I couldn't believe that he was speaking as if killing someone was something he did every day.

"You mean outing the Senator as the criminal he is" I stated.

"Yes, what do you know about that," my homeless man asked.

"I saw the recording when I was at the library the other day," I said quietly. "Please, where are you taking me, I want to go home."

Just saying those words, I knew what a lie they were. I hadn't had a home for a long time, I just wanted out of here.

"Miss Steele," the grey-eyed man said.

"My names Ana," I told him, trying to control the panic that continued to build inside.

"Ana, I need to apologise to you. My actions have put you in danger."

"From you," I asked him, sounding braver than I felt.

"No, not from me. I know I have no right to ask you to trust us but I need to make this right, I need to keep you safe."

A nod of the head was all I could muster at the moment as our journey carried on. I could cry or scream but against these men, I would just be wasting my time.

Where we were going or what was there couldn't be worse than what I had left behind. I hoped to god it wasn't anyway.

 **Thank you for reading and thank you for all the birthday messages. I've had a lovely day.**

 **Ana might seem quiet and weak at this point in time as her mother has knocked her down for most of her life but things are about to slowly change for her.** **By the time this story is over, she will be just as tough as the boys.**

 **Christian and Ana take a trip back to her apartment next chapter and they both have a few choice words for her mother.**

 **Until next time, which I'm hoping will be by the weekend, take care.**

 **Caroline**


	4. Chapter 4

CPOV

She was terrified, I could see that although she was trying not to show it as our journey to Jason's home continued.

When we took the job to dispose of Hyde, I never thought it would mess with someone else's life but it had and I have to put it right.

At the moment she doesn't know the extent of the danger she's in, the amount of people in the criminal world and even the government who are sweating bullets at the moment wondering if Hyde would name them next. Him releasing that video of Blandino had sent ripples throughout the Senate and government, all the way to the idiot in power himself.

They can't ignore Hyde's theories any more as he had shown the proof of what he said. Every person he had named before, every theory that had been brushed aside is being talked about now and researched in great detail. Blandino himself was seen by a neighbour, making a quick exit from his home just after the video was released. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, but they will have to find him first.

I just hope he keeps his mouth shut when they do catch up with him because if word gets out that Ana does have the information they seek, she will never be safe again.

"We're here" Jason announced, as we stopped in front of his home. He had been slowly removing the beard that he wore to play his part of the tramp, revealing the great man that us guys all knew. Ana though had watched his every move, too afraid to speak. "Ana, I know you're scared but you don't need to be here," he told her.

Ana looked to him, not saying a word before she rested her head against the wall of the van again. I watched as he reached towards her, opening her shaking hand before he put two dollar bills in her palm.

"I appreciate them but they belong to you."

I watched a tear fall as she squeezed her hand around the notes. Jason had spoken of Ana last night, about her kind heart and the fact that she had given him the last bit of money she had.

We had watched her for the past few days, seen the dump that she lived in. No one should be living in a place like that, especially this woman here.

As Elliot opened the van door, I saw Gail emerge from the house. She knew what we were doing, she knows everything that goes on in our group so as she approached us, she gave Ana a friendly smile.

"Welcome to our home," she said, offering Ana a hand to help her from the van.

I thought Ana was frozen in place as she looked to her but just like we had seen many times in Gail, Ana must have seen the kindness that was there, the mother figure she was to us boys despite being only five years older than me.

She reached out, taking Gail's hand before moving out of the van. Ana looked like Bambi at the moment, all the energy gone from her body as she tried to hold herself up. Despite wanting to make sure Ana was alright, I know Gail would get her settled, while we all planned what to do next.

…..

"She's quiet," Luke said, observing Ana as Gail led her up the stairs.

"She's just been kidnapped, what do you expect her to be doing, dancing a jig," Elliot asked him.

"No, I expected shouting and screaming, or at least her trying to run away."

"You didn't see her Luke. I don't think us taking her away is the worst that has happened to her" Jason told him, opening a beer.

It was about twenty minutes later when Gail came down, walking straight past us and towards the fridge where she started to pull food out.

"Gail," Jason said, walking up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Gail was shaking and it was only when she turned around, wrapping her arms around him did we see the anger on her face.

"What has you so mad."

"When was the last time she ate, had clean clothes... She's up there now in the bath, crying because she can't remember the last time she had one for fear of someone knocking down the door. I want to meet the person responsible for her misery Jason and I want them to hurt as much as she's hurting at the moment."

I knew the first time I saw Ana in Tacoma that something was wrong. I had watched her leave the building where she lived, I had watched her rush past the men who hung around the building entrance but I knew they weren't the reason for her anguish. I would have a bet her mother had something to do with her tears, I just didn't think it was as bad as this.

"Has she said anything?" Elliot asked Gail.

"Not much, I think she's too scared to, too exhausted. She thinks she's a prisoner here. Once she realises that's not the case, I hope she will relax."

"The purse she has with her, is that the same one she had in Chicago," Jason asked me.

"No, that one was bigger. While we were observing her, I didn't see that other purse at all. I just hope she hasn't dumped it, not wanting anything that she had there."

"We will speak to her in the morning, let her know what's going on," Jason said.

"Go easy on her Jason, all of you."

"We will Gail," he told her.

"I'm going to give her this, try and get her to eat," Gail said of the plate of food she was putting together.

We watched Gail depart before getting comfortable in the living room. There was a bedroom where I could stay but with a beer in hand, the couch and warm fire would do. I doubt I would sleep anyway as my mind wandered to the people upstairs, especially Ana.

….

When Ana came down the next morning with Gail by her side, she looked a little calmer than she did last night. Her clothes that she had arrived in were nowhere to be seen as she was currently wearing some of Gail's.

Gail was one of the smallest people I know, well small compared to us. Ana though was swamped in the clothes she wore.

"Morning" Ana mumbled, standing by the table as if she was waiting for someone to give her permission to sit.

"Take a seat dear and I will get you something to eat," Gail told her as Ana sat across from me.

I looked at her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable but I was unable to look away.

I took in her hair which although still blond had a shine to it now and looked healthy, no longer dull and lifeless as it had been before. As she looked down at her hands, not making eye contact with any of us, I saw the bruise on her cheek I had seen forming when I had bumped into her outside the coffee shop. Despite that, Ana was a beautiful woman, truly beautiful and she had been hidden under all of that pain. As she lifted her head up once again, her eyes met mine, neither of us looking away.

"In that room, wouldn't it have been easier to get rid of me too. I mean you took a chance on me not seeing you."

"I did, but I don't regret the choice I made. There is a lot I regret about my life, but saving you isn't one of them Ana" I told her honestly. Not for one split second did I think of ending her life as well.

"Here you go Ana dear, some toast like you asked."

"Thank you, Gail," she said quietly, picking up a piece.

We left Ana to eat, while we all got our own breakfast knowing the talking would come soon enough. What she let us know, would determine where we go from here.

"Can we talk?" Jason asked Ana as she pushed her plate away, not having eaten much. One whole piece was all she had managed but no one pushed her to eat more.

"What is it you want to know," she asked, as Gail came to sit by Jason's side, giving Ana encouragement to talk.

"Christian, you were there, do you want to take it from here," Jason asked me so I nodded, turning to Ana.

"When Hyde brought you into that room, he had your purse and his briefcase in his hand. He threw them onto the table but they missed, scattering the contents of both over the floor. This is where I think I made a mistake. I picked everything up that I thought was yours, placing it back into your purse when I put you back into your room. That day, although we didn't know it at the time, he was meant to be meeting with a reporter to hand some information over to him. That meeting didn't take place and this information was not found in his room."

"So you think I have it."

"I think there's a chance, yes. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary that wouldn't normally be there so I just left all his papers with him and everything else with you."

"Do you still have your purse?" Elliot asked her.

"I think so."

"What do you mean, you think so," Luke asked her.

"My mother," Ana said. "She's taken everything I've had, everything that I don't hide away. I put it with my dad's photos, under the floorboards in my bedroom. I liked that purse as it was the first thing I purchased for myself when I got my job. She commented on it and I know if I hadn't hidden it, that too would've been gone by now. Unless she has figured out that I hide things under the floorboards, it should still be there."

"Christian do you want to go in, and take Ana with you," Jason asked me.

"You're taking me back there," she asked, and I'm sure I could hear a hint of panic in her voice.

"Only to get your purse Ana," I told her.

"What happens then, do we all go on with our lives."

I looked to Jason to see if he was ok with me revealing more of what was really going on. Seeing the nod of his head, it was time to lay it all out on the table.

"Ana, I asked you to trust us, despite not knowing what was going on, and you said yes, well you nodded your head. Once we get your purse, I need you to trust us for a little longer."

"What's going on," she asked.

"The man, the one who hired us to kill Hyde had a new contract for us, you."

"What" she whispered and I could see her start to shake.

"Ana, we refused to do the job, although they don't know that yet. That is why we brought you here, to keep you safe" Jason told her.

"But I can't stay here forever. If I do have this information and people know about it, they will all be waiting in line to silence me. I can't put you in danger like that."

"Ana, this is what we do," I told her.

"What, kill people."

"In a nutshell, yes. We're all ex-special forces who formed our own team when we left the army."

"Is that legal?" she asked, making me smile.

"That depends who you're asking."

"What happens now," she asked us and it was Jason who spoke.

"We want you to go back home. You will have Christian with you and some of us will be close by. You get your purse and then you leave again. I know we're wrenching you away from your home but at the moment it's the only way to keep you safe."

"Ok, she won't be happy" she whispered.

"Ana, you get your purse, I will deal with her."

….

I drove my car back to Tacoma, with the guys in the van behind. We had checked the news to see if there were any reported kidnappings and there was none. I doubt her mother even realised she was missing but she would learn soon enough.

"I need to apologise to you."

"You have Christian, it doesn't matter."

"It does and I'm not just apologising for putting you in danger, I never expected you to lose your job too."

"There was no job there for me when Jack was gone, that's what they said anyway."

"You don't think that's the reason," I asked her.

"His boss was not too happy about him employing me in the first place. All the other applicants had college degrees or experience, I had none of that just the passion to do the job. My dad, he would always read to me when I was little so I got my love of books from him."

"You never went to college," I asked.

"I never finished high school. She moved us about constantly, never letting me get settled. I did try and get my GED at the last place we lived but I couldn't even finish that because of her and the trouble she caused which made us move yet again."

"Life will get better Ana."

"I hope so as I can't see it getting any worse…. Why did you leave the special forces?" Ana asked.

"Jason. He had helped me when I joined up. He was there for me with another friend Charlie through a lot of dark days. When the dark days came for him we were by his side throughout. When he was discharged, we left too."

"But you still kept your unit together."

"We're family, we're brothers, we stick together. We were then and still are the best team that doesn't exist."

"How do you not exist," she asked me.

"Due to the nature of our work. We get in and do our job and the public doesn't usually find out about it until much later when the government takes credit for our work."

"I can understand your work then and how you came to leave the forces but what started you on the road to doing the job you do now."

"Guns for hire, soldiers of fortune?" I asked her.

"Yes."

"Our Commanding Officer when we were in the army, Welch. His brother had gone missing in South Africa, no trace of him anywhere. He worked at the embassy, just an ordinary guy who went to work every day as normal. The government despite kicking up a fuss about him being missing refused to allow Welch's team to go over and look for him. As we were no longer employed by the US Army, he asked us to go instead."

"Did you find him."

"Yes, he was in a pretty bad way by the time we got to him but he was alive. From what we learned, he was taken because of his boss. They travelled frequently in the same car and when the car was ran off the road to get to the boss, they found he was the only occupant inside."

"Why was he in such a bad way then. Sorry, I'm being nosy."

"Ana, it's fine, don't worry about it. The information they wanted from his boss, they thought they could get from him."

"All this was done by a team that doesn't exist."

"Yes, it was followed by many secret missions we've done like that."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone your secret or what we've talked about, I promise."

"I trust you."

"You do, but you don't even know me," she said, turning her head to look at my face.

"I'm a pretty good judge of character Ana, besides we've stopped at god knows how many lights, your door is unlocked and you haven't made a run for it yet."

She smiled, looking down to her hands, a trait I have noticed she does when she's nervous.

"Is it wrong that I feel safer in this car with you who I've only known a matter of hours than in an apartment with someone I've known my whole life."

"No, it's not Ana," I told her honestly, hearing a sigh.

"It must be nice, having someone to lean on, someone to talk to when you're feeling down," she said.

"I couldn't imagine my life without any of the guys, Gail too. Charlie, Luke's brother was with us in the army, we lost him a couple of years ago and met Luke at his funeral."

"He took his place on the team."

"No, he joined us. There was no taking Charlie's place. There are six of us on our team, despite one of us no longer being here."

We spoke more as our drive continued and I was able to get her to open up about her dad. He was in the army too before leaving to be closer to home when she was born. He had transferred his skills into becoming a cop and just like my own father, he was no longer around.

"Ana, I always use the name Cameron when we're working. If you need me when you're in your room or just want my attention, that's the name I want you to use."

"Ok," she said, quietly.

We were close now and I had noticed that Ana had become quieter the closer we got. As we stopped outside the building where I had seen her come out from a few times over the past few days, I could see Ana's hands shake.

"No one will touch you, Ana. In and out, quick ok" I told her, placing my hand over hers.

"I know. I just hope we don't walk in on my mother with someone," she said, squeezing my hand before letting go.

"Either way, let me deal with her."

Getting out of the car, we hadn't even walked a few feet before we were heckled or more like Ana was by two men who were sat drinking on the steps up to her building. I didn't appreciate the way they looked at her and I certainly didn't like their words.

"Oh look it's the whore's daughter, and she seems to be following in her footsteps and has found herself a pimp. Do I ask you how much you charge or should I ask him" one said, laughing with his friend. He wasn't laughing for long.

My hand was at his throat in seconds, my gun pointed to his friend. Both were silent now, afraid even to move an inch, both looking anywhere but at my girl.

Just thinking those two words, My Girl, had my actions faltering for a second. My mind was screaming at me that I can't go back to those days again of having something to lose. Being detached is what has kept me alive all these years because it's too painful to think of anything else. My heart ached though, longing to have the closeness that I had seen Jason and Gail have. Head vs heart, it doesn't really matter which one wins because at the moment there are more important things to worry about like keeping Ana alive.

Ignoring the churning I felt in my stomach, I turned my full attention to the men before me, especially the man who had started going blue. I didn't have Ana in sight, but I could feel her as she gripped my jacket behind.

"You both need to learn how to treat a lady. They're not to be whistled at, harassed or insulted. They're not to be treated like a piece of meat. I suggest you both take note of what I'm talking about before I come back out."

I released the man whose hands came up to his throat as he tried to breathe. His friend grabbed his jacket pulling him down the steps and far away from me.

"They will be back" she whispered. "They're always here."

"It doesn't matter. They might be here but you won't be. If they come back with friends before we leave, the others can deal with them."

We made our way up the stairs and as we stood outside of her door, I watched Ana take a few deep breaths before she put the key in the lock. The smell was the first thing that hit me, the smell of sweat and sex that was in the air.

This place was a dump, far worse than I thought when I had viewed the building from outside.

"Which is your room," I asked as Ana pointed to the room at the far end of a small hall. "Go and get your thing, I'll..."

"ANASTASIA, THAT HAD BETTER BE FUCKING YOU AND YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE" a woman shouted from another room before coming into view.

She hadn't seen me at that moment as she advanced on her daughter. As I stepped closer to Ana, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, her mother's steps faltered.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU."

"Lovely language for someone who's supposed to be a lady," I said, watching this woman's eyes move between Ana and me.

I don't know what made me do it or if I had crossed a line but I placed a kiss to Ana's forehead, letting her know it would be alright. Instead of freezing or pulling away, Ana melted into my side, her hand coming up to grip the back of my jacket keeping me close to her.

"Found yourself a sugar daddy, I see. I have taught you something after all," she said, lighting a cigarette and blowing smoke Ana's way. "You still haven't told me where you have been."

"No, and I'm not going to either" Ana said, as we watched the anger appear on her mothers face. I don't think Ana had ever spoken back to her before and as she tried to intimidate her daughter, Ana stood her ground. "I'm here to collect my things and then I'm gone."

"I don't think so" she laughed. "You owe me rent and you have done nothing to get it. I could've gotten you work but you prefer to go to the library and sit on your arse and do nothing."

"I was looking for a job, one that gave me more self-respect than yours. This apartment is only big enough for one whore and that's certainly not me. DON'T LOOK AT HIM, STAY AWAY FROM HIM." Ana shouted at her tormentor who was ignoring what she had said up to this point and had tried walking towards me.

Not only was Ana putting this woman in her place, but she was also protecting me.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that. You're nothing without me" her mother said, advancing forward towards Ana this time with her hand raised.

She had hit Ana for the final time the other day and I won't allow her to touch her now. Catching her mother's arm mid-swing, I pushed her back sending her flailing to the floor.

Hearing her cries, a man stumbled from the bedroom, zipping up his fly.

"Hey, don't touch her," he said, but I had had enough of this, silencing them all when I pointed my gun at them.

"Ana, go and get your things," I told her, as she reluctantly moved away from me and made for her room.

"She can't leave" he mother spat, getting up from the floor with the man's help.

"Oh, but she can and she is. You have hurt her for the last time. While Ana is busy, I think it's time we have a talk so take a seat. I SAID TAKE A SEAT."

The man sat on one of the barstools at the breakfast bar but at my raised voice this woman missed the other stool, ending up on the floor again.

"Look, man, this is nothing to do with me so maybe I should just leave," the man said.

"Sit down," I said, menacingly.

I pulled up a chair, turning it around and sat down. I could hear Ana move from her room into another before I heard a screech and then a bang.

"Ana, are you ok."

"Yes, fine just a cockroach" she called out.

Shit, it's a good job Elliot is not in here as he hates those little fuckers. I don't particularly like them either but there are worse insects in the world, one who is currently sitting in front of me.

"She seems to have you wrapped around her finger. Let me tell you a few things about that scheming girl," her mother said but quietened as I looked to her.

"Let me tell you something about Ana. That woman has a heart of gold, one you have trodden on so many times over the years. You've ripped her away from every chance in life she's had so far, stolen everything you can get. I see the powder under your nose, I can smell the alcohol on your breath, and I know this is nothing new. You're a disgrace, as a person, as a woman but especially as a mother."

"I NEVER WANTED HER IN THE FIRST PLACE, SHE RUINED MY FIGURE. I had a life planned, was going to leave her with her father and then he went and got himself killed. Do you know how much I was offered for one night back then by dancing, how much money I could make with my body? She ruined all that. I was saddled with a kid, nobody wanted but I had to make do, here, there, wherever I could. This body made me all the money I needed."

I wanted to vomit as she pushed her breasts together as if this was something that would turn me on.

"If that's the case, where's the money dad left me," Ana asked, joining us in the living room, her purse and another bag in her hands.

"You're alive, you're clothed although I don't know what the fuck you're wearing now" she spat, trying to look down on Ana but she was past being intimidated by this bitch.

"I went days without food, scurrying around for scraps when you were fucking whoever was in the apartment at the time. I had to wait for then, because of the way the men looked at me. Dad left me enough money to not only live comfortably but to have been able to attend college too."

"It's gone, a long time ago so deal with it" she spat at Ana.

"Don't worry, I will" Ana said, disappearing into the room that the man had come out of.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING" her mother screamed, getting ready to get up from her seat.

"I would stay just where you are," I told her, pointing my gun at her head this time, daring her to move.

She turned to the door, and I could see how nervous she was, especially when we could hear Ana banging around in the room. She came back out a few minutes later, arms full.

"NO, NO, NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, NO" She shouted but Ana ignored her.

Ana had come back out of the room with bottles of whisky and quite a few little bags filled with powder. I knew it was heroin, we all did and seeing the satisfaction on Ana's face as she ignored her mothers screams while she emptied the bags into the sink before washing it away with the alcohol and then water, brought a smile to mine.

"Dad left that money to me so it's up to me how I choose to spend it or dispose of the things it I don't want or need."

"That was all I had," her mother said and for the first time today she had tears in her eyes. No tears for the daughter who was about to walk out of this door for the final time but for the drugs she had lost.

"Cam, I'm ready to leave," Ana said, looking to me as I got up from the chair to join her.

With me moving, her mother ran to the sink before dropping to the floor when she realised everything was gone. She looked to Ana, lost for words and knowing that the child she had bullied for so long had finally won.

"Do you have everything you need?" I asked, putting my gun back down the back of my pants, and taking the bag of clothes from her.

"Yes, there is nothing left for me here now."

As we left the apartment, Ana walked in front of me head held high. She didn't look back, although I did, making sure they didn't follow behind.

As I drove away, it did cross my mind that those people who were going to be after Ana could also target her mother too. I didn't care though. She could live with whatever fate had in store for her, she was on her own.

As we left the city behind, Ana was quiet again. It was as if all the energy that she had put into facing that woman had left her exhausted. I know she was going over everything that had happened in that apartment especially the hate she felt from the woman who should've been there for her. Her mother still treated her as the child she stopped being long ago, intimidating her at every turn. Ana should be proud of herself with the way she dealt with her, I know I am.

"What did you bring," I asked Ana as we waited for the lights to change, wanting her to talk to me.

"My purse" she mumbled.

"No, I didn't mean that. What did you bring of yours? I don't think we can go back."

"I don't want to ever go back there again Christian. Be known as the whore's daughter and be constantly asked by the men she had over if I was part of the bargain too. I would rather die than sell myself like that, even live like I thought Jason was living. When I was in the library yesterday, I was watching him through the window, thinking if there was a chance that his life was easier than mine. I brought these, apart from the few clothes that I had, these were the only thing there that mattered to me."

She passed me three photographs. One of her father in his military uniform, one of him as a cop and the last one of them together.

"I miss him" she mumbled, laying her head against the window where she let her tears fall.

Our journey continued in silence as we both remembered those we had lost. No matter what choices we make in life, no matter what we do, there is no coming back for them. For Ana though, there is a future out there for her. We just need to deal with all the crap that's coming our way and then I will help her find it.

….

Arriving back at the house, we all made our way into the dining room where we had started the day. I handed the bag of clothes to Gail, letting her know they were Ana's. She was just as sad as I was at how worn they were and although it was not our place to say anything about them, I know she will be replacing them soon.

"Do you have it?" Jason asked me but I shook my head.

For a second he thought I meant that it wasn't there but I was quick to tell him that we hadn't checked.

"Ana, can you please check and see if there is something that you don't recognise in your purse."

She held it out to him, asking if he wanted to go through it himself.

"I'm not brave enough to go through Gail's purse so I don't feel comfortable going through yours."

His words brought a smile to her lips, which in turn brought one to my own. She has a beautiful smile but so far has not had reason to do it, I hope that changes along with a lot of things for her.

Ana started pulling things from her purse, placing them onto the table before her. They must be things she recognised or she expected to be there although, on us boys, some things seemed alien. Lipstick, yeah I understand that but why do you need a pencil to draw around your eyes. According to Gail a girl just has to have these things but when I saw Ana in Chicago and in that room she had none of this makeup on. I don't think she needs any of it either because she's beautiful just the way she is.

As the pile of things started to get bigger in front of us, now including Kleenex and a spare set of keys that joined the ones we had used today in the trash, we were starting to get worried that it wasn't there after all.

"This, this isn't mine," Ana said, handing over a small square case to me. It looked like the small compact mirror Elliot had opened, wondering what it was. Inside this one though was a disc, replacing the mirror that would've originally been there.

I carefully removed it, holding it up on my pinkie finger so everyone could see.

"Ana, are you hungry" Gail asked her.

"A little."

"Come let us get you something to eat while these boys go to work."

I watched Ana get up from her chair, watching her walk away. Her work was done now in all this, now it was our turn.

Barney set up his computer, putting the disc in place. I don't know where you would get a player that could show us a disc that small but I learnt not to question him long ago.

As the disc started to play, it was the same recording we had seen before. The same details about Blandino, the same photos and videos that were on the file that Hyde released, that was except for his final words. Those were new as was the way he spoke them. He was leaving a message for someone, but who.

 **Thank you for reading and thank you for your reviews, follows and favourites.**

 **Some of you love the suspense and some of you want the answers now. Just know all will be revealed, in time.**

 **I'm cruel, I know. Blame my brain. My teacher said when I was in school many moons ago that I have an overactive imagination. I find writing, lets that imagination out.**

 **The next chapter will reveal just who that** ** _who_** **is. I am hoping to have it up for Monday as I have a busy weekend ahead. If I finish it before then, I will publish it as soon as I can.**

 **Until then, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Fanfiction seems to be having an off day and in its formatting is joining some of the words together that were not written together in my original text. I have caught a few of them but if you find any more, please let me know and if the site is playing ball, I can hopefully change them.**

APOV

I don't know how much time I had spent in this room, sitting at the window looking out at the garden below since we had returned from Tacoma. I didn't even know where we were and for now, I didn't care. I've mostly kept to myself, not wanting to be in anyone's way as I tried to get my head around what happened back there because my minds been everywhere.

From the hurtful words, she said to Christian about not wanting me, to the look of defeat on her face when I got rid of everything she loved best. I had to giggle to myself at that, a giggle that turned into a full on belly laugh. There were a few tears that accompanied it but what I felt most of all was relief.

Hearing a knock on the door to the bedroom I was currently staying in, I called out for whoever it was to enter. Seeing it was Gail, I smiled.

From the second she offered me her hand to help me out of the van, she put me at ease. She had a kind smile, one that she offered to everyone here, a good heart too.

"I brought you something," she said, entering the room with a bag filled to the brim.

"What did you bring," I asked quietly, moving from the window over to the bed.

"You said you hated your hair the colour it was, so I thought you might like a change. I wasn't sure what colour you wanted so I brought quite a few. I brought these as well."

She tipped the many boxes of hair colour onto the bed, followed by a few wigs. These weren't normal wigs, they were colourful and had probably belonged in a circus at one point but they had the desired effect, my laughter.

She put on a long brown wig, covering her face and looked like cousin It. I copied hers although mine despite being blond had red and blue at the ends. Harley Quinn, she told me it was.

We spent a good hour messing around with the wigs before we looked at the colours. I wanted my own hair colour back, my brown so I found a colour that was closest to it and hoped once it started to grow out, my true colour would shine through.

"You don't have to stay in this room all day Ana," Gail told me, making the colour up.

"I know, I'm just so used to staying out of the way. It was easier, safer" I said, before jumping when I heard a bang from downstairs.

"Those boys" Gail grumbled, shaking her head.

"You don't jump when you hear a bang like that."

"If I jumped every time they broke something, I would just stay on the ceiling. I know you've been through hell Ana and it's going to take a while for you to feel comfortable anywhere, just know that you're safe here though, despite what those silly boys are doing."

"Do they all live here?" I asked her.

"You would think that with the amount of time they spend here but no, they all have their own homes, Christian being the furthest away. They all congregate here though as it's where their command centre is, that and to raid my fridge."

"You must go through a lot of food."

"We do" she smiled. "Now let me get rid of that blond so we can go and get some of that food for ourselves before it's all gone."

I sat quietly while I let her do whatever she wanted to do. My hair was halfway down my back now, not having it cut for a few years so it took more that one box of dye to get the colour we wanted.

When I opened my eyes once it was dry, I cried. For the first time in so long I looked like the real me and as I hugged Gail, I could see her tears too.

"Thank you" I sobbed.

"You have nothing to thank me for Ana. You look beautiful sweetheart."

"I look like me," I told her, smiling into the mirror.

Once we had cleaned the bathroom and I had changed, we went downstairs. It was the first time since yesterday I had been down here and I was surprised after hearing the noise earlier, that the house was empty.

"Did they all leave?" I asked her.

"No, they will be downstairs," she told me.

"You have a basement."

"A fortress, it seems. It's a panic room, large enough for a football team to get comfortable in if you threw all of Barney's equipment out that is. That man loves his gadgets and computers" she said, shaking her head.

"Is Christian down there."

"He will be unless he's at the shooting range or he's gone home. Let us get something to eat and then we can go down and see."

I made us both a sandwich despite Gail telling me she would do it. If I was staying here, I wanted to feel a little useful, even if that is only making lunch.

With lunch finished, Gail took us through the pantry and to another door. It didn't look like a door at first, it looked like ordinary shelves, filled with ordinary tins of food but at the scan of her finger, the door opened revealing a staircase to the floor below.

As we walked down, I breathed a sigh of relief at hearing Christian's voice. After yesterday, I felt close to him, not really knowing the others apart from Gail and maybe Jason. Christian made me feel safe and although the last thing I ever wanted to be was needy, the closeness to him is what I crave.

"No language boys, we have a visitor," Gail said as we walked down the stairs.

All talk stopped and everyone turned to us as we came into view. I was nervous about their reaction, used to constant negativity from some but seeing the smile on Christian's face put me at ease.

"Let me see, let me see" Elliot came over, spinning me around which made me laugh.

"Leave the poor girl alone Elliot," Jason said. "You look lovely Ana, your hair suits you."

"I think so," I said, my eyes going back to Christian who had walked closer to me.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you," I said, trying not to blush.

"What are you boys doing," Gail asked them, trying to take the focus off me now.

"Trying to figure a mad man out" Barney grumbled.

"Ana, what did you know about Jack Hyde the man, not the boss" Jason asked me as Christian pulled out a chair for me.

"Little really. He was messy, his desk a minefield of paperwork to look through if you needed anything. When I first started working there he was nice, polite if a little eccentric. After a while, though he did like to hover, too close sometimes and came off a little creepy. One of the girls there, Hannah told me no other assistant had lasted as long as me, so I thought I was doing well. Despite how he came across, he was my only chance."

"Your only chance at what," Gail asked me.

"To save up and get away."

"You're away from there now Ana, you don't need to worry about anything," Gail told me.

"There's something I don't get about Hyde," Elliot said, walking over to the far side of the room where on the wall was photos, of Hyde, Blandino, another man who was on the video, a known criminal according to the press. There were even photos of the compact mirror and the disc as well as some writing but I couldn't read it from here.

"What's that," Jason asked him.

"This compact," he said, pulling the photo of it from the wall. "Why did he choose to hide it in this."

"It's small, easily hidden," Luke said.

"Yes if it was in a purse but in a briefcase, especially Hyde's it would've been instantly noticeable and out of place. I know you've been kicking yourself for putting Ana in danger Christian but I don't think you did."

"Where's that brain of yours going man," Barney asked him.

"I hope to god I'm wrong but I think Hyde gave it to Ana before they even entered the hotel room."

I was shaking my head, knowing he didn't hand anything to me that day apart from the papers he had signed.

"I don't mean handing it to you as in your hand but putting it in with your things while you were unaware."

"Was there any chance during the day that he had access to your purse" Jason. asked me.

"While we were in the main room, we were sat side by side listening to some authors who were being interviewed on the stage, one of them who was published through SIP. He could've put it in then because my purse was on the floor between us, but why. Why give it to me, if he was meeting with a reporter."

"Maybe it wasn't a hard copy he was handing to the reporter. He was due to meet with him, what about, we don't know. We always assumed it was to hand over the disc but as we already know, he has ways of getting a digital copy around easily enough" Barney told us.

"He made you his back up," Christian said, confusing me not only by his words but the anger I could hear in them.

"Back up," I asked, reaching for his hand, wanting to calm him as he had calmed me.

"He had to have known what revealing those details would do and the danger it would bring him. Dead or alive he wanted people to hear the truth so he found a way to keep at least one copy alive, even if he wasn't."

"By putting a target on my back," I said, angrily.

"Yes. He didn't care, he proved that by drugging you in Chicago and taking you back to his room."

"What did he expect me to do with it though besides hold on to it to keep his legacy as a creep alive. I mean he's already released it so it's not like he left me a secret to keep for him."

"There was more on that file than just the message that was released, Ana. A message to someone, that someone I think was you" Barney said, confusing me even more.

He turned back to his keyboard and soon the recording I had already seen started playing on the screens. I did realise that my hand was still in Christian's, our fingers now entwined and as he wasn't making any effort to pull away, neither was I. Seeing the end of the message though, I gasped at what Hyde said.

 _Life is what we make of it and I will make those who have done my country wrong, pay. So make sure you travel in style to the cupola where you will receive a presidential welcome. Personally, though, I prefer dining with royalty at four._

"I think the guy's tripping, has lost the plot," Barney said.

"I think he's cruel."

"Ana, what is it," Christian asked me.

"Jack asked me once what I did when I was off work, where I liked to spend my time. There were two places I could escape to while I lived there, the library and the Tacoma Dome. Both were open all day and both I could spend time in without being hassled."

"What does this have to do with his message," Luke asked me.

"He made my misery into a clue for his stupid riddle. Travel in style to the cupola where you will receive a presidential welcome. A cupola is another word for a dome and Tacoma has a large indoor arena called the Tacoma Dome, not far from McKinley Park."

"You're shitting me. He left a clue to something in a concert venue" Elliot asked, shock filling his face as we watched Barney pull up on the giant screens before us the map of Tacoma, zooming in on the dome and the park.

"It might be a little easier than that," I told him. "Tacoma also has a railway station with the same name, the station I've spent a lot of time in. _Travel in style."_

"Bit smaller but still," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What was it that he said at the end" Gail asked.

"He preferred dining with royalty" Christian answered. "Ana does that mean anything to you."

"No, nothing," I told him, releasing his hand as I walked over to the board to see the photos, now seeing the message written here.

I understood why he felt he needed to release his files to get rid of the corrupt people in power, I just didn't understand why he felt the need to include me in all this. Did he think because of the mother I had, that if I disappeared or turned up dead then no one would care? He must have because he was right. I was expendable, a tool to be used and once I was of no use, easily tossed aside.

I hate this life, I hate the way some people make me feel. I'm a human being, just like everyone else and like everyone else, I feel and I bleed.

"Ana" Christian whispered, coming to stand beside me.

"I'm ok, I will be," I said, brushing the tears away before giving him a sad smile.

"I will make it ok, I promise," he told me, reaching once again for my hand.

"I know."

"What have we got," Jason asked as Christian and I joined him.

"Railway station, a royalist and a bunch of numbers," Elliot said.

"Numbers," I asked.

"Yes, apart from having tea with royalty at four, he also spoke six numbers," Barney said.

"Sorry, I didn't hear them, my mind was wandering," I told him.

"Don't worry about it, my minds on a different planet most days" he said, making me smile.

"Are there lockers at the station" Christian asked. "Six numbers could be the locker number and combination."

"I don't remember seeing any on the main concourse. There could be some in the maintenance areas, there are a few of them dotted around the station," I told him.

Barney moved the map aside, pulling up a guide to the station. It showed the basic information but nothing about where the staff or maintenance areas are, mainly the platforms and bathrooms.

"It's going to be a needle in a haystack in a station that size" Elliot grumbled.

"I can agree with that," Jason said. "We can go in as if we're catching a train but if we start moving from platform to platform we're going to look suspicious."

"I could go in," I said quietly feeling Christian's hand tighten around mine. He was shaking his head and he wasn't the only one either. I would be shaking my head too if I thought there was another way. "I know some of the staff there, not personally, but just to let on. They've seen me there many times, so seeing me now in different areas wouldn't look suspicious."

"Let me ask you all this," Elliot said, getting our attention. "Worst case scenario, what are we going to find."

"Details about another of his theories, maybe more on Blandino. He made it sound like the next was for someone else but it could be more of Blandino or more like who else he associates with" Barney said.

"More information that if it got out, could hurt whoever was named in it. The first revealed the crooked senator at work, maybe waiting for the second tape to be released is a good thing as it gets rid of others too, who knows who could be on there" Elliot said.

"I disagree," Luke said.

"Now there's a change" Barney grumbled.

"No, hear me out. Despite sometimes helping Welch out, we all work outside of the law which could be perceived as working against the government. What's to say that there is not something about us on there. I don't know about you guys but I would rather know than wait for our identities to be released" Luke said.

It was like watching a tennis match as they argued between themselves as if to go and find whatever Hyde had hidden in Tacoma or to leave it to be released. If I was being honest with myself, I worried about what was hidden there as he had no qualms about involving me. Maybe my names on there too which will make me an even bigger target than before.

"Guys, GUYS" Jason shouted. "This is not getting us anywhere. We still haven't figured out the last part of his stupid riddle and that could be the key to figuring out all this."

I looked around the room, as they all went back to work apart from Luke who was staring at me. I had been looked at like that numerous times before and they all gave me the creeps.

"What," I asked him.

"Nothing," he said, turning back to the screens.

"No, not nothing, you've been staring at me."

"I apologise. My cops brain is working overtime as I'm trying to figure everything out, figure out where you fit into all this."

"When you find out, please let me know," I told him, knowing that we had everyone's attention in the room now.

He turned away from me for a moment, not liking the looks he was getting from the others. Like a dog with a bone though, Luke just couldn't help himself as he turned to me once again.

"I just can't figure out why he picked you to leave this message for."

"I was there," I told him, not liking where this was going.

"No, I mean for the job in the first place. Jason said you didn't have the experience for the job so why did he pick you over all the other applicants. Did you know him previously."

"No," I said, feeling Christian's anger radiating off him just like it was when we were in her apartment. I could hear Jason's protest as well, stating he hadn't said such a thing.

"Then why, I mean there's nothing special about you."

"Watch your fucking mouth," Christian said, getting in his face now.

"Shit that didn't come out the right way. I meant there was nothing to gain, like money if you came from a rich family or had something he wanted."

"I just wanted a job, an escape and maybe he saw that," I said, sadly. "You're right though, I am nothing special, I'm expendable, easy to get rid of it. If I have to continue to put up with comments about being nothing all my life because of my start though, then id rather be dead."

My legs took flight from the room and up the stairs. I could hear Christian and Gail shout after me and I could also hear a scuffle but my own cries started to drown that all out.

Being told I was nothing by her, was nothing new. Here though, I was stupid enough to let my guard down, stupid to let them in. As I closed the bedroom door behind me, I cursed that I had let the tears fall again. Id shed so many recently and I was sick of it.

"Ana" I heard Christian say as he knocked on the door. "Ana please, can I come in."

Choking on a sob, he took that as my answer as he entered, finding me sitting on the floor with my back to the window I had been looking out of earlier.

As he sat down beside me, I flinched. That made me cry even more because I trusted Christian and I had let Luke's words get to me.

"I should be stronger than this," I said, wanting to reach out to him.

He took charge, wrapping me in his arms as I sunk into his side.

"Don't let that dick ruin the trust we've built up here Ana. He's a cop and he hasn't learnt yet when to switch that off and when to shut the fuck up."

"He's right though, I'm an easy target. Jack saw that and made me a pawn in his game, not caring if I was still alive at the end of it. He used me just like everyone does."

"Not me" he whispered as I lifted my head from his chest to look into his eyes.

"No, not you."

I felt his lips on my forehead and for the first time ever, I wanted a man's lips on my own, this man. I think its crazy how close I had gotten to one person in such a short space of time, how much I wanted to open up to him. I didn't know how he felt though and I was scared to do anything and push him away.

We moved from the floor, over to my bed, or my bed for however long I was staying here. We could hear voices raised, Jason's, Luke's, even Elliot's before I jumped when a door slammed.

"I'm ripping you apart," I told him. "Maybe it's best if I leave, let the cops deal with it."

"No Ana, no. They won't protect you, Ana. I won't let you leave just to be put in harm's way."

"They're cops."

"Yes and one of them is working for Blandino. The reason they found out that something was missing was because he had a guy go into Hyde's room after I had left. A cop Ana, a Seattle cop. God knows how many others he has on his books. We took you to keep you safe. If I have to lock you away to keep you safe from yourself, then I will do it."

His words at the end made me giggle. I forget sometimes that they had technically kidnapped me and brought me here. I just get confused because I feel safe, in this house, with some of the people and especially with this man.

"You have a beautiful laugh, I hope to hear it some more."

"Me too, because I'm sick of tears."

We spent hours in the room speaking about everything before Gail came up to tell us that dinner was ready. As we went downstairs, I could see everyone was here, including Luke who was approaching me.

"I want to apologise. I was out of line and need to know when to shut up, according to these guys."

"It's ok" I mumbled.

"No, it's not ok," Gail said, looking at Luke.

"No, it's not" Luke agreed. "Being on the police force for so long, I was so used to going in quick, deal with everything before the opportunity was missed. Being on this team everything works differently and although I have been on this team for a couple of years now, I'm still learning that as I try not to be the impatient bastard I've always been. What I said about maybe he has information on us as we work against the government, was more for my brother than me. Charlie wasn't just my big brother, he was my hero and I don't want anything bad said about him."

"How would he name your brother, Christian said you're a team that doesn't exist."

"We are Ana, but with the digging, he did on Blandino and with some of the details he's picked up on some of his previously dismissed theories, who knows what information he's got, who knows who his next target is" he admitted, taking his seat.

"Welch did say, this guy was causing problems digging in places he shouldn't" Elliot admitted as Christian held my chair out for me before taking the seat by my side.

"Has anyone figured out the royalty connection?" Christian asked, filling his plate with the food before us once I had put a little food on mine.

"No, nothing. Do you know how many royal families there are in the world, how large those families are," Barney asked.

"I have been thinking about the bit after" I admitted quietly.

"Which part" Christian asked me.

"Tea at four. Tacoma Dome station has eight platforms, maybe the four is platform four."

"Do you know if it has any maintenance area, staff area?" Jason asked me.

"Yes, it does. Under the stairs that lead you up to the bridge that goes to the main concourse and other platforms, there is a door that I've seen people go in and out of frequently. That's the platform I usually got off of when I came home from Seattle."

"It's a start, Ana. It gets rid of the haystack so we only have to find the needle" Jason said, smiling at me.

Dinner thankfully went without any fall outs or insults although now that time had passed, I did notice a bruise getting worse on Luke's cheek.

"You hit him," I asked Christian quietly as I looked at his hands, noticing now I didn't have tears in my eyes that some of his knuckles were red.

"He deserved it" was all he said and seeing the nod from Luke when he heard what was said, brought my laughter forth again.

They were an unusual bunch of people who fate had brought together. They fight, they make up, just like a real family. It's been a long time since I've had a family, not since dad died but as I sit here, seeing them wind each other up, joke and also be serious too, Id like to be a part of one again, this one.

…

Do you know that moment when you're finally on the point of sleep and you have that eureka moment, that answer that you have been trying to come up with all day but it had eluded you, only to pop into your brain when you're begging for sleep? Well, I had one of them tonight.

I had been tossing and turning before finally settling onto my back, looking up at the ceiling. I hate sleeping on my back as for some reason, sleeping like that, the nightmare's might come. They didn't though, the answer to the riddle of who the royalty was, did.

I pulled Gail's long sweater over the pyjamas I wore, heading out into the hallway but not having a clue who was where.

"Christian, Jason" I called out, hearing nothing but snores through some of the doors. "CHRISTIAN, JASON" I repeated, louder this time.

I heard a door bang open below me which made me jump before someone was running up the stairs. Just as Christian came into view, Jason emerged from the door at the end of the hall with Elliot coming out of the door, opposite.

"Ana, what is it," Christian asked me, as this small hallway filled up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake everyone up, I just didn't know where everyone was staying."

"It's alright Ana, is everything ok," Gail asked me.

"I figured out the royalty part, well I think I have. Jack had a visitor a couple of times to the office, a woman called Kate. He said she worked for him but she didn't work at SIP and the only times I saw her was when I was showing her into his office for an appointment."

"I'm not awake yet so Kate and royalty," Luke asked.

"British royal family. Kate or Katherine is the Duchess of Cambridge. I could be completely wrong but that was the only name I remember from my time working there, that would have a royal connection."

"I'm going to wake the computer up," Barney said.

"You mean you turn it off," I said, hearing a chuckle from him.

"No, they're always on. It's my brain that needs waking up so coffee is needed" he said, before disappearing down the stairs.

"Do you remember anything else about this Kate?" Jason asked me as we slowly followed him down the stairs.

"Blond, tall, I remember thinking that she suited being blond whereas I hated it. She knew him well as they hugged when she entered his office. Her initials were the same."

"What," Elliot asked as I took a seat in the basement.

"Her initials were the same. K.K. that was what it was put down as in the diary. I only know her name was Kate as he asked me to get her a drink and he practically screeched her name out when she entered the office as if they hadn't seen each other in a while, old friends."

"With the message of having tea with royalty, was he expecting you to go and meet her, hand the disc and any information he had left at the station over," Gail asked me.

"I would rather have tea with you," I told her, taking the steaming cup from her and earning a smile.

"This all goes back to him treating you Ana as a backup, keeping his information out there at any cost. If this Kate did work for him in some way at Conorist, wouldn't she already have the information though."

"Like the first file, there could be additional information in there. Something physical that could have a bigger impact than any video would. I saw her twice and it was months in between visits, maybe she didn't live close and he was using me as a go-between until I could hand this information over to her. Wouldn't she be a target too though?" I asked Christian.

"Yes, she would," Jason said. "We were never asked to take this woman out though."

"Only me," I said, quietly.

"Hyde was known for working alone, no one was ever mentioned in his theories apart from him. He was a computer geek, not unlike myself" Barney said. "He was able to get into systems that he shouldn't have, had followers, fans of his magazine who he would use from time to time to get his information. This Kate could she have been one of these followers. With regards to you Ana, I think you were targeted for just being there and Blandino panicking that you had the information he sought."

"Does he know, that I'm here?" I asked them.

"We told him that we would take the job but that was just so we could get you away from danger and so that he didn't hire anyone else. No other contact has been made and if he did try, it would be ignored" Jason told me.

"He's running scared," I said.

"He is" Christian agreed. "He will always be running until we find him."

"What," I asked, turning to him. "Why would you."

"Because of you Ana. While he's out there, you're always going to have a target on your back. The cops could catch up with him but even then with the people he has working for him, he's still a threat. This isn't just about Hyde's theories any more and stopping them. It's about stopping Blandino and anyone else from getting to you. Otherwise, you will be the one running for the rest of your life. I do agree with Luke to a certain point with regards to going in to find this file. Not for stopping it from being release but more for what else is there and to find out what we're dealing with and who else Blandino has on side. The sooner we find that out, preferably before his next video is released the better."

"We go in then," Jason said.

"With me," I asked, and I could feel the tension in the room escalate at my question as if no one wanted to answer for fear of putting me in danger.

"Yes, you Ana" Jason finally said.

"All of you are going in" Gail commanded, coming back into the basement, shocking the boys with her tone.

She said she was going to make some breakfast but she came back empty-handed apart from what looked like an iPad.

"What is it baby," Jason asked her but she was looking at me before turning the iPad around so I could see the screen.

"Is this her Ana?" she asked quietly as I took the iPad. from her, Kate's face looking back.

"Yes," I said, only now realising that the photo was on a news page, with a large headline above.

 _Media moguls daughter killed in London road traffic accident._

Seeing the name, Barney was quick to pull up her details.

"Kavanagh, Katherine or Kate Kavanagh she was the daughter of Eamon Kavanagh of Kavanagh Media," Barney said, reading aloud the information before us.

There were photos of her, lots of them all dressed up for the evening and out with family or friends. None of them looked like the woman I remember, the one who was dressed in jeans and boots who came to his office that day.

Everyone who had any association with Hyde was begin disposed of, killed off before they could speak. That only left one person who knew Hyde now, that one person being me.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **For those who are asking when the relationship is to start between Christian and Ana, I think that started the second they saw each other. A physical relationship e.g., lips locking, that starts next chapter. For them to go further than that, you will have to wait a little longer.**

 **For the next** **chapter, you will have to use your imagination because when I was researching places for this story and the Tacoma Dome came up, I found it only had two platforms, not the eight I have written about. Just imagine a busy rail station with lots of platforms and you will be fine** **for the next chapter as that is where they will be.**

 **Until next time, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	6. Chapter 6

CPOV

We had watched the news reports this morning, seen her parents tears as they cried over the death of their daughter. From what we had seen, Kate Kavanagh had been much loved and the centre of her parent's world, so how the hell did she get caught up with someone like Hyde then.

Ana had described the woman who had come to Hyde's office, dressed completely differently from the way the photos depicted her. It was like she lived two different lives, both of which were now gone.

Life moves on though, time was running out and despite the fact that a woman who was known to Hyde had been killed, we had to put her aside and focus on today and what we had to do.

When we left this city just days ago, I promised myself I would never take her back. I wanted Ana as far away from this place but Hyde had yet again put her in danger and if I was honest with myself, I felt like we were doing that too.

We could go in as normal passengers, and we were, up to a point but having us all still on the platforms when the trains depart considering how few there would be on a Sunday evening, would gain us attention we didn't need. If time was on our side we could wait for a busier day but we were running out of that. Hyde had set the clock and as Barney had as yet been unable to find out how or where he released the first file from, we were unable to change it.

A sigh from Ana brought me out of my thoughts of what we were doing today. She had been quiet all morning, keeping to herself, I just wish she got this idea out of her head that she was in the way.

"Are you ok?" I asked her.

"I'm fine Christian. I was thinking, that we need to visit the ticket office when we get there. They don't usually have many guards around checking tickets but we don't want to be caught out if there are."

"That's fine Ana," I told her, squeezing her hand which brought a smile to her face.

I don't know what was happening between us, if anything at all but we have grown closer since she's been staying at Jason and Gail's. I'm protective of her, well that's probably an understatement and despite knowing that it wasn't me that put her in danger, after all, it doesn't change anything. While she's in danger from anyone, I will be by her side, keeping her safe.

We could see the Dome as we approached, the concert venue that was. It looked dark tonight as there was nothing going on there, leaving the station nearby quieter than normal. We had looked at train times, seeing what options there were and when the last train was due to depart. Seattle would be our destination if anyone asked and even though our tickets would just be for show, thinking of going back to Seattle again, brought a heavy feeling in my heart.

It's not that I haven't been back there since, I have and I even have an apartment there. I just try not to think of that city, what I have lost and what's still there because despite how much time has past, those feelings still feel raw.

Parking up at the station, I watched Luke's and Elliot's cars pass us as we split up. I could see the van parked up which will have Barney inside, gadgets out no doubt. He's going to buy us some time I hope, keeping an eye on the cameras. Unlike in the hotel where he took control of them, we didn't have that option here. He could cause static for a few moments, play about or even watch them as the operators did but for us to mess with them too much, would not only cause too much attention, it could be dangerous too.

Getting out of the car, I opened Ana's door for her, offering my hand to help her out. I know she's capable of getting out herself but I wanted to look around us, make sure no one is hanging around. There were a few people making their way into the station, hoping to catch one of the last few trains home, none looked our way though.

Wrapping my arm around Ana's shoulder as if we were a couple, we followed them towards the station, nodding to Jason who was also on his way in.

He was back to being a homeless man again, going in there to use the bathroom or benches, keeping any security they had on site busy as they try to remove him.

"This way," Ana said, leading us to the ticket desk.

"Where to this evening," The man behind the counter asked.

"Seattle," Ana told him, as I paid with cash for our tickets.

"Only one train left for Seattle tonight, Platform four. It's not due for nearly half an hour though" he said, printing out our tickets.

"That fine. We were unsure of what time it was. Better to be early than late" I said, taking the tickets from him.

"If only everyone was like that. You will be surprised by the number of young'uns like yourselves who miss the last train."

"Not us," Ana said smiling before I took her away from the counter.

"Are they all that talkative?" I asked her.

"Some. I've not seen him before though, then again I was normally here during the week, not on the weekend."

We ignored Jason and the male security guard who was trying to usher him out of the station as I let Ana lead us towards our platform. I had my arm wrapped around her shoulder again, her hand gripping the back of my jacket. Having her by my side felt right and despite how much my head wanted to have its way, my heart was starting to win out.

She led us through the main concourse and onto a footbridge that went over the lines. Reaching the second set of stairs, we went down them and onto the platform below. One side was three, the other four so we went back on ourselves, passing the door Ana had told us about, taking a seat on four that had the door insight.

The next train on this platform was our own, one we wouldn't be getting unless this night all went wrong and we needed an exit.

"Barney, report," I said, into my sleeve as Ana rested her head onto my shoulder. She would also hear what was said as she had an earpiece of her own.

"There is a train due in on platform three in five minutes. While the staff is occupied with that train, go in then."

"How do you plan on getting through a locked door," Ana asked me quietly.

"Same way I got into Hyde's room and yours, pick the lock."

She smiled, keeping her head on my shoulder, cuddling up like a couple, as we watched the train come past us until it was out of sight.

"Go, Christian, Ana now," Barney said as we watched the information board flicker, knowing Barney would be messing with the cameras for a few seconds too.

I led Ana over to the door, pulling my lock pick out of the backpack I had. It was empty apart from the tools that I needed and a torch but we thought it would look suspicious to be seen arriving without anything and then leaving with whatever Hyde had left.

I'm getting ahead of myself as I think about leaving as we have no idea what's behind this door. Hearing the lock click open though, I ushered Ana inside, closing it quickly behind us.

"Lockers," Ana stated, smiling at me as we looked at the row in front of us. Some of them had names on, all had numbers.

Moving over to number twelve, I held the lock in my hand. I had no idea if the combination that had been on Hyde's message would work or if we were completely off track, we had to try though.

"Christian, what if we open that and it goes boom," Ana asked me as I turned the dials on the lock, putting them in order.

"Do you think that is something that Hyde would do?" I asked her, stopping what I was doing.

"No, I don't think so, I hope not anyway. He left that message for me to find this. I do wonder how he got something in here though."

"From what I've learned about Hyde, he's resourceful….Fingers crossed for no boom though" I said, as I moved the last number into place and the lock opened.

"It worked" she whispered, shock evident in her voice. "I was right."

"You were Ana, you're brilliant," I told her as we opened the door and peered inside.

There wasn't much in the locker, in the main part but at the top was a backpack not dissimilar from my own. I pulled it carefully down and was surprised by how heavy it was, like he had hidden his life's work inside. I quickly scanned it, using a fiddly little device that Barney had given me, making sure there were no bugs, no trackers and especially no explosives inside.

"We've got it, a backpack," I finally said, hearing quite a few sighs of relief in my ear.

"I'm out front. Apparently, I'm not allowed to take a nap inside the station" we heard Jason say which made Ana giggle. Unfortunately, neither of us were laughing for long.

"Christian, Ana, you're about to have company," Barney told us.

"What, did someone see us come in," Ana asked him.

"No, it's a cleaner, two of them, mop buckets in hand. One's just cleaned up some vomit on three, and another has joined him walking your way. Is there anywhere to hide in there" he asked us as I put the padlock back in place, locking it once more.

"Not unless we can fit in a locker," Ana said and she was right.

Besides the lockers and some cleaning supplies, there was a small table and a couple of chairs. A kettle in the corner with a few cups at a sink was all that was left. This looked like somewhere staff would come and have their break although, with the size of it, I personally wouldn't want to stay in here for long.

If I was on my own, I could play the drunk guy who had stumbled into the unlocked room and got himself locked in, but how do I explain Ana being here. We had worked out so many details about getting into this room, we never thought about who might actually use it.

"I'm on my way," Elliot said. "I will cause a distraction."

"Elliot you're not going to get there in time," Barney told him.

I put Hyde's backpack inside my own, before putting it onto my back as we heard the voices get louder. While making a plan in my mind of how we would explain how we came to be there, all thoughts left my head as Ana pushed me against the wall, pulling my head down to hers.

As she crashed her lips to mine, it took me a few seconds to catch up. Ana had found our reason for being there, one I could hear the men about to ask as the door opened but I couldn't think about that or anything else at the moment as I pulled Ana closer to me, my lips now moving against hers.

"You can't be in here, this is out of bounds," one man said, but I continued to ignore him, devouring Ana's lips.

"Hey," the other one said. "You need to get out."

Ana pulled back from me, her lips as swollen as my own. She looked to the men shyly before a giggle left her lips.

"My apologies gentlemen. I couldn't resist him and the door was open" she said, resting her head against my chest.

"I'm all for young love ma'am but not in here. I will get fired if someone finds out I left the door open, even if the only thing worth stealing in here is a cup of tea."

"I promise not to tell anyone, as long as you don't," she said, righting the back of her jacket, a place my hand had just been.

"Go on," he said, smiling at Ana, neither of them really acknowledging me. I didn't care because I was staring at her too, completely in awe of the way she has handled everything tonight.

We left the room, rushing as if going for the train that was just coming in and heading for the last carriage which Ana told me would stop by the stairs we had come down. We waited for a moment, getting caught up in the arriving crowd before following them up the stairs towards the exit. The ticket office was closed now and the only people around apart from our group were the woman closing the kiosk and the security guard who was too busy keeping an eye on Jason, making sure he couldn't get back inside. I know we would've been caught on camera at some point, but with the problems Barney had caused, they would be more concerned with that than watching us.

Getting out of the station and into the fresh air, it was like reality hit for us both. Quiet Ana was back again and I didn't want that. I wanted the woman who pushed me up against the wall, demanding my lips against hers and saving both of our arses in the process.

"I'm sorry, I panicked," she said, finally looking at me when we reached the car.

"What."

"I panicked, attacking you in the process."

"Ana" I groaned, wanting nothing more than to grab hold of her and kiss her again but we were out in the open, exposed and I needed her in the car and safe.

I opened the car door for her, before going around to my side. I looked up seeing a car pass and also saw Elliot's grinning face. They would all know what had happened in that room, and I knew I would hear it from Elliot especially as we had spoken about how close Ana and I had become.

His words were for me to get my head out of my arse and see Ana as the beautiful woman that she was and not as the job we were doing. The problem was that I had seen the woman ever since I had held her outside the cafe here in Tacoma, probably ever since I carried her back to her room in Chicago and looked into those enchanting blue eyes. I saw all of her and for the first time, just like Jason had Gail, I wanted someone for me too. I wanted Ana.

Leaving the city behind, I drove us back towards Jason's ignoring the backpack for now which was on the back seat. I could feel her looking at me, see the smile on her lips as I turned my face to hers for a second.

"How old are you," she asked, shocking me at her question, more for the fact that ages had never come up.

"I'm, thirty, thirty-one next June."

"Oh, my god, I kissed an old man," she said, laughing at the shocked look on my face.

"Think how I feel. I was attacked by a young'un, that's what that guy called us."

She looked at my face, her giggles bursting forth which brought on laughter of my own. After the tense day we'd had, this was needed and when she reached for my hand which I wrapped within my own, her touch was very needed too.

"Great job," Jason said as we got out of the car, while I grabbed the bag off the back seat. "Quick thinking too Ana" he added, trying not to laugh.

"Oh my god, I forgot they could hear us when I jumped you. I think I will just go upstairs and hide in my room before the redness of my face is a beacon to guide the bad guys our way."

"Stay where you are Ana. We all do what we need to do to survive," I told her.

"I know," she said, before mumbling something that sounded like _I enjoyed it though_.

I was about to tell her she wasn't the only one when Luke and Barney came over, asking what we had picked up.

"Not sure yet, I thought it was best to get out of there first before we started to take a look."

I was going to hand Barney the backpack so I could speak to Ana but Gail got her attention first. I watched them both enter the house, Gail practically checking every inch of her over to see that she was ok.

Entering the house myself, it was Jason who I handed the backpack over to who had finished pulling off his beard. He headed straight down into the basement, leaving the girls in the kitchen where Gail was making something for Ana to eat. She didn't eat before we left, too nervous she told us so Gail was making sure she had something now.

"How did it go," Jason asked me as we all took a seat.

"Pretty well until the cleaners turned up."

"You seem to have gotten out of there unscathed" Luke teased.

"Yeah, Ana is smart and great in an emergency, can we keep her," Elliot asked Jason, making us all laugh.

"Who knows," he said, before taking Hyde's backpack out of my own, that one he gave back to me. "Let's see what we have."

I watched him pull papers out of the backpack, some printed, some written. There were journals here, full of his theories, photos too of people we had never even thought of before. It seems that one of the president's puppets had been up to some extracurricular activities I could see from the photos of him leaving a strip club. Joining the photos, there were notes, dates, times, bank statements even, containing more money than I would ever see in my lifetime. There were written logs too of where the photos were taken and initials by the side of them.

"Look at this" Barney said, showing us a piece of paper with the initials and phone numbers on it. "KK."

"Were these his helpers, followers?" Luke asked.

"They must have either loved what they did or had no fear as getting up close to some of these people is dangerous. Some of the people he's named are C.I.A. Look, Stuart, I always knew he was a bent bastard" Elliot told us.

"Are we to believe they're all guilty because he's named them?" Luke asked us.

"Until proven innocent, you know the score Luke," I told him. "Besides by the look of some of these photos, if this is what Hyde's releasing next, then quite a few people are going to be running scared."

"As long as it's not us," he said.

"Yes, or Ana."

"What are we going to do with all this," Elliot asked. "I mean, Hyde expected Ana to hand this onto Kate, that's no longer an option."

"I will give it all to Welch, let him deal with it" Jason declared. "There is nothing here about Blandino though," he said turning the empty backpack upside down.

As he turned it upside down, shaking it to see if anything would fall out, we all quietened as we could hear something moving around. Checking there was no pocket he hadn't opened, Jason took a knife and started ripping it apart. By the time the flash drive fell onto the table before us, the backpack was in shreds.

"Why don't I have a good feeling about this" Barney said, taking it from Jason. "To conceal it that well."

I think we all had the same feeling and we knew it wouldn't go away until the flash drive was played.

We waited for Barney to do all his tests on the drive, making sure we were not going to upload a virus by accessing the information on it. Once he had determined it safe, he put it into the computer and let it play.

Watching it play out, I felt an anger inside me, also a fear that I had not felt in a long time. Watching Blandino meet with Samuel Fernandez, the man behind the pain and misery I felt so long ago and still feel to this very day. The man who I had run into, even apologised too for nearly knocking him over in my rush to get into Canlis. He had taken away everything from me and the fact that he was still breathing was bad enough. Seeing him in the photos and recording now as if he didn't have a care in the world was too much.

I didn't realise I had done it until pain shot up my arm as my fist hit the screen. I felt arms around me pulling me back but I shrugged them off. I could hear Jason cursing too in the violent haze that had come over me, knowing that seeing the man that had killed his wife and daughter was too much for him too.

I heard Gail's voice and I know in the fog I heard Ana's too. I didn't want her to see me like this though, so I did the only thing I could do in that moment, I got out of there and ran.

I ran out of the door, not caring about any of the security features Barney had put in place. I know he would've disabled them all hearing the front door open but if I did get hurt, it couldn't come close to the pain I already felt inside.

It was the shooting range I found myself at, which was the furthest building on Jason's land from the house. Where my property was on the beach, Jason's land ended on the cliff top further down the coast from mine. Here, in the room where everything was stored, I let my anger fly. Whatever was within reach, went over. Whatever, I could pick up, I threw.

I was scared. Gone was the man who had killed god knows how many people, climbed on the outside of buildings so many times, I could put spiderman to shame. In his place was a man, terrified of what the future held. Terrified because I had done what I had promised myself I would never do again, I had let someone in, let myself feel and like the idiot I was, I had found someone I couldn't lose.

Days, I had known Ana and in that short space of time, with her smile, her heart and her laugh, she had implanted herself in my heart.

She called me old man, a term coming from her I actually liked. I didn't care about the age difference between us, it didn't even factor into how I felt. What did was how protective of her I was and I was terrified that just as I was not able to protect my baby sister, I wouldn't be able to protect her too.

I sunk down to the floor when all my energy had waned, my back to the wall. I wanted to fight some more but there was nothing left but the carnage that surrounded me. I didn't hear her enter, too busy fighting the demons in my head.

"Christian" Ana said quietly, carefully stepping over the mess I had made.

"You shouldn't be here, it's not safe," I said, my voice hoarse from all the screaming I had done.

"The safest place for me to be is with you," she declared, kneeling before me.

I wanted to cry at her words but my eyes were clear when I took in her concerned face, her want to touch me. I know though with the way I left the house, she would fear me pushing her away.

I pulled her close though so she was straddling my legs as I buried my face in her hair. Ana's arms wrapped around me, holding me close to her.

"I know you're in pain Christian, I just wish I knew what to do to make it go away."

"You can't Ana, it will never go away…. I can't protect you" I admitted, quietly.

"What."

"The man on that video took away everything I had and I'm terrified, he will take you away too."

"We stop him then, Christian. I'm not going to stand by and watch someone take my life way, just like I won't stand by and watch someone take yours. I'm fed up being a victim, I won't let you be one too."

"God, where do you get your strength," I asked, kissing her forehead.

"I'm just borrowing some from you, old man," she said, making me smile.

"We're going to need a lot of strength Ana as it's going to be hell fighting this man. He's wanted in over twenty countries and if he knows about you."

"The target on my back just got a little bigger" she finished.

"I wasn't going to say that but I suppose it is. Blandino is going to know by now that we have you, he's also going to know with the calls Jason has ignored that we're not going to give you up. Only time will tell how big his operation is so we may need to call in a little back up of our own."

"Do you know where he is, this man."

"I'm not sure what was on that tape as I didn't wait for it to end. Only seeing his face was enough for me to get out of there. We will find out what else there is when we get back Ana."

We didn't rush back, just content to have the calm we had, despite the surroundings we were in. I knew the storm was coming and with Fernandez, in the centre, it will be a hell of a one. Despite my fears, I will do everything I can to protect Ana, or I will die trying.

 **Thank you for reading. I did warn you it would be a roller coaster and we've only just begun.**

 **Until next time, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	7. Chapter 7

APOV

I don't know what time it was when Christian and I walked back to the house. The lights were still on so I knew some of them were still up and with the light changing in the sky, I knew the sun would be up soon too.

He had held me, as I held him, both offering the other the support that was needed to get through the days to come.

Soon, Hyde's video would be released. What was on it, I wasn't sure as I had only seen a little as I entered the room. Christian had told me why he had been so angry though, about a man being on there who was responsible for killing members of his family.

"You two look exhausted," Gail said, greeting us at the door.

None of them had come looking for us when Christian ran out the door and I had followed not long after. I had no idea where I was going at the time, only the instruction that Gail had screamed at me to go straight ahead.

"Coffee will fix any tiredness" Christian told her as we walked into the hallway.

"So will sleep, for both of you."

I smiled, tiredly at her, knowing she was right but with the grip on my waist that Christian had on me and my own grip on him, neither of us was willing to let the other go.

"What have we got," Christian asked Jason who joined us in the kitchen where Gail was making some strong coffee and tea.

"A shit storm for everyone," he said, a tinge of anger still in his voice.

"How are you doing Jason," I asked him, receiving a sad smile.

"Coping, just like the two of you. I managed to get through the video once, although the boys have seen it more. I want to apologise to you, Ana."

"What, why would you need to apologise to me."

"For dragging you into all this."

"Jason you didn't drag me into anything, Hyde did. I have no doubt I would be dead now, even if Hyde was still alive because releasing these videos seems to have prompted Blandino and his friends to dispose of anyone who knew him. You saved me, all of you."

At my words, Christian's grip tightened on my waist. No one said anything about how close we were, about how we were touching all the time. There had been no more kissing, on the lips that was while we were out there. There was plenty of kisses though, to my hair, my forehead and I had even kissed his cheek. Out there, being close to one another was all we needed.

Despite being exhausted though, when Jason went down to the basement, Christian and I followed him. We found Barney fast asleep, his face on the keyboard. Luke was reading some of the papers we found and I had no idea where Elliot was.

I could see the wince on Christian's face as he took in the screen that his fist had created a hole in. I had looked at his hand too when we were out there at the shooting range and despite saying it hurt like hell, he was convinced nothing was broken.

"What have you found," Christian asked Luke, taking a seat at the table, once he had held a seat out for me.

"Trouble for anyone he listed in here. He had logs going back years, naming and shaming people along the way. I remember hearing rumours about some of the people he's named, back when people thought he was crazy. This is going to ruffle a lot of feathers, sending people running just like Blandino did."

"About him, what else was on the video," I asked.

"Morton, his dodgy dealings are about to be revealed, plus some of the images of Fernandez seem to be taken wherever he's hiding out. Elliot was reading the journals to see if he could find out where it was but falling off the chair after falling asleep, he gave up and went to bed."

"I want to watch it," Christian told him. "When everyone's awake."

"Do you think that's wise man. I'm running out of screens" Barney said, lifting his head up with a piece of paper stuck to his face.

"Sorry about that Barney," Christian apologised, nodding to the broken screen.

"It's alright. If it would've been me, I would've shot them all out. You, only ruined one."

I smiled, seeing the way they all are together, knowing being part of this group is what's kept them sane all these years. I'm with Christian though. I would like to see the video also, wanting to know what we were up against.

Gail, ever the mother she is to them, and now even me, brought us some food and drink down. I felt like the strong tea was the only thing that was keeping me awake at the moment but as the recording started when Elliot joined us, sleep was the last thing on my mind.

I could feel Christian tense up beside me as soon as the man came onto the screen. I don't think there was ever a more hated person to these people and knowing that man would try and kill me also, I felt hate for him too.

"Stop it, Barney please," I said, startling them all in the quiet of the room. "Go back… him, who is he."

"That's Stephen Morton, he's the cop I told you that was with Blandino" Christian told me.

"He was there," I told them.

"We know, he was the one who searched his room."

"No, I mean he was there the next morning. I tried to contact Jack but was getting no answer, so I asked the housekeeper if she could open his room. We found him and she called the paramedics, despite me telling her that he was cold. This man turned up though, not long after, stating he was a cop who had been called. I was surprised with how quick he got to us but maybe he never left."

"He was that close to you" Christian said and I could hear the anger once again in his voice.

"He was asking me questions, about Jack and about what we were in Chicago for. I was upset as it was my birthday and for the first time ever I had been looking forward to it. I went into the bathroom, to pick up my purse because I had some Kleenex in it. I didn't think anything of it at the time but my briefcase had definitely been moved."

"He had no right even speaking to you," Christian told me. "Especially as a cop as he had no jurisdiction there."

"We were never alone, there was always someone there with us. The hotel manager most of the time. Come to think of it now, he did seem keen to speak to me on his own."

"I'm glad he didn't, I'm also sorry I ruined your birthday," Christian told me.

"Don't be Christian. You've given me the chance to have many more, all of you have."

"We will have a belated celebration when we get through this" Gail told me.

"Save it until next year, then we can celebrate and maybe I can even have a drink."

"Oh, yes, I forget how young you are sometimes," Elliot told me, although he was looking at Christian.

"How old are you then Elliot," I asked, wanting to turn the teasing away from Christian and on to him.

"Thirty-six."

"Wow, if Christian's an old man, you're ancient."

For the first time today, Christian laughed. I'm not sure if it was the look of shock on Elliot's face or the relief that despite the hell that was surrounding us, we could still all be just us. Either way, it was good to hear it though.

"You, miss. Me and you are going to have words" he declared making me laugh.

"Which words would you like to discuss, I know quite a few of them."

"Don't, I know it. I think your brain might just rival Barney's."

"I don't do too bad for a girl with no diploma," I told them.

"You will have it, we will make sure of that" Gail told me.

The recording was started again as we all quietened. I don't know where Jack filmed this man or if it was one of his followers but it looked, dry, not so much a desert, more like they don't get rain often.

"Is there any hidden message for Ana" Gail asked as the video came to a close.

"No, that's it. I don't think he needed another message because if Ana had handed this over to Kate, her job would've been done" Barney told her.

"I would love to know how Hyde got hold of this though," Luke said, holding up what looked like a bank statement. "Regular payments have been going into this account every week for what looks like the past few years. The same amount, two million dollars every time. It stays in for a week before one of them is moved on, leaving the other million to add to the total. One hundred and two million were in it at the time this statement was printed."

"Whose account is it," I asked him, not even being able to fathom how much money that was.

"M, Perez. I haven't come across that name in any of the papers so far, then again I think I've only scratched the surface" Luke told us.

"It's not a name I came across either" Elliot agreed.

"Could it be a dummy account for transferring money to either man. Blood money or payment to keep their mouth shut" Gail asked.

"If it is, it's a pretty poor setup considering Hyde found it."

"It could be a way of paying Blandino who then transfers the million to Morton or any other cop they have. Is there a way of tracing where it goes" I asked him.

"Yes, I already checked. Just another account where it's transferred out of days later. I do wonder what will happen if the money just disappeared" Barney said with a smirk on his face.

"What are you planning," Jason asked him.

"Sharing the wealth," he said, tapping away on his keyboard.

"I could do with a few million, I bet we all could," Luke told him.

"Not me."

"You wouldn't like to have money like that Ana," Luke asked me.

"Not if someone was hurt to get it. I would rather live with the few dollars I have."

"Barney what are you doing" Christian asked, as his friend continued at his computer, a chuckle coming from him.

"Transferring funds" he stated.

"To me" Luke laughed.

"Keep wishing," he said, looking to his friend. "No, I can guarantee that all the money that is in this account has been acquired illegally so I'm just going to create an account of my own and freeze this one in the process. They won't realise it's gone until it's too late and then again, they might think some government department has done it, not me. I'm going to see if I can access the account that the million is moved to every week, have a little fun with that too. While I'm doing this, name a charity."

"You're going to give all the money to charity," I asked him.

"No, although with all this money, missing a few million won't make a difference. This money has made quite a bit of interest though so I'm going to find a new home for that where it will do some good. When we give the information to Welch, I will let him know what I've done with the money and he can inform whoever he needs."

"Someone out there is going to be pissed," Luke said.

"Tough" Barney replied as he continued tapping away on his computer. "Now Charities."

"It's not so much a charity but the library where I used to spend a lot of time, could do with a little renovation and a few more books," I said as Barney nodded, writing the name of the library down that I gave him.

"Adams street mission, it gave me a meal when I didn't need one," Jason told him.

"Ana, can you find these places for me," Barney asked.

I was only too happy to help so while the others continued to speak about the papers that had been found, I found the places and a few others that could do with a little help.

"What's your dad's name, Christian said he was in the army."

"He was" I smiled. "Raymond Steele. He was there until he found out my mum was pregnant and then left so he could be closer to me. I wonder if she had said that she didn't want me back then and he left to make sure I survived."

"We will all make sure you survive this Ana," he told me.

"I know."

While Barney continued, we talked about my dad, his unit and where he had been stationed before I was born. Before I knew or had really understood how, he had moved millions of dollars around and was pressing enter on the keyboard to complete his work.

...

I had no idea what time I had fallen asleep in the chair, I only felt myself being lifted and carried up the stairs. As he lay me on my bed, I opened my eyes, to see Christian looking down at me.

"Stay" I mumbled, not wanting him to leave. "Please."

I heard his movements as my eyes closed once more and I thought he was going to leave. Hearing the door shut, I was startled for a second when I felt the bed move as Christian lay down by my side. Pulling me closer to him, I lay my head on his chest and felt a kiss to the top of my head.

"Sleep Baby, get some sleep" was the last thing I heard before sleep did take me and I just hoped he got some sleep too.

….

I was woken by voices outside and a car door shutting. I had no idea who was leaving or if someone had arrived as my brain hadn't caught up with the rest of me and was still foggy from sleep. There was also the fact that I was comfortable, lay across Christian's chest and at the moment, I had no desire to move.

"Good morning, or afternoon" Christian mumbled as we both finally took in the time that was on the clock, both realising now how dark the room had gotten.

"Good evening," I said, seeing as we were approaching 7 pm. "Am I squashing you."

I felt the shake of his head and also the kiss he placed onto my hair, all while his arms tightened around me.

"Stay where you are. How, are you doing."

"As best I can," I told him honestly. "How about you," I asked, picking up his hand to see his bruised knuckles.

He was lucky that he hadn't broken his fingers with the hole in the screen he left. I feel sorry for anyone who ever does gets on the other end of his punch, because it won't be pretty.

"I'm fine Ana. I want to take you outside tomorrow morning, teach you a little self-defence. Take you to the range also and show you how to handle a gun."

My whole body had frozen at his words and he knew it too as this thing was getting more and more real by the day. Tomorrow the file would be released and once that was out, there was no putting it back in the box. I know Barney had been trying to find out where the previous file had been released from but has been unable to so far. If he did find it, there is no guarantee that the next will be released from there too.

"I wanted to say something about what we talked about out there but I'm worried it will upset you even more," I said quietly.

I had had a thought while watching the recording, one although I didn't want it to be, I know was probably true.

"Ana, whatever you need to say, please say it. It won't upset me."

I lifted my head from his chest so I could see his face. His eyes, they were staring into mine, imploring me to continue.

"You said a little about your family being murdered in an explosion, one that was aimed at the serving Senator."

"Yes" he whispered and I knew talking about this was hard for him.

"Was that Senator killed."

"He was."

"Did Blandino get the job straight after or was there another Senator in-between."

"Straight after" he replied.

I hated bringing this up because I knew with the few words that he was giving me, how hard it was for him to speak them.

"Did he orchestrate it then. Was Blandino behind the Senators, and your family's death so he could get his job."

I was shocked by how quickly and carefully Christian moved me from his chest, as he was soon pacing the room.

"Senator Cane was one of the most popular Senators this state had. He was behind the crime rate dropping, he put tighter checks in place at the docks, making sure every shipment was checked and fought for tougher sentences for drug and gun crimes, everything we now know Blandino was behind."

"He was in the way then," I said, sitting up in bed.

"He was," Christian agreed, as he turned towards the window. "He fought for what he believed in, especially when it came to protecting his home. He was a war vet and had lived through that only to be murdered back home."

Walking up beside him, I wrapped my arm around his waist. Christian gave me a sad smile, no doubt thinking about his family and how things could've been different if the Senator hadn't been targeted that day.

When we went down for dinner, Christian told me he was going to speak to Jason. Walking into the kitchen, I was met by Gail and Elliot who were deep in conversation.

"Hello sweetheart, what can I get you," Gail asked me.

"It's ok, I can get it, you stay where you are," I told her, putting the kettle on to make some tea. "Can I get you anything?" I asked them.

"I'm fine Ana," Elliot said, smiling. "Where's my good friend."

"He's with Jason," I told him as Gail left the room, leaving us alone.

"He's a good man," Elliot told me. "Despite coming across as a tough guy, he has a good heart and seems to have a soft spot for you."

"I feel safe with him, but it's more than that."

"I suspect it is. You look good standing side by side with the old man" he said making me laugh.

"What's going to happen now," I asked him.

"Hyde's about to piss a lot of people off. People who are going to be running scared and are going to do whatever they can to stop anything else from being released."

"I know Elliot. By association alone, I'm a target, especially as far as Blandino and his friends are concerned."

"We deal with them first then. Hopefully, by finding out where Blandino is hiding, we find a clue to where Fernandez has been hidden all these years. Hyde's message is going to make others go underground, making our search harder but having had missions like this before, we won't stop until it's done."

…

Elliot's words were still in my mind as Christian led me by the hand towards the back of the house the next morning.

We were out here so he could teach me the basics of self-defence and if I was honest, I was nervous. That was probably an understatement because it brings to the front of my mind what we're dealing with. Christian wanted me to get the feel of a gun too but that would have to wait until Jason and Luke had finished sorting out the damage at the shooting range.

"Fuck this is hard" Christian mumbled, standing a few feet away from me.

"What is," I asked him.

"I need to teach you this but I don't want you to ever have to use it. I would happily shoot anyone who comes near you."

"We can't live like that Christian, besides what will happen if you're not there. I'd like to know I could at least put up some kind of a fight."

I knew my words had displeased him by the look on his face but he pushed it aside, standing behind me.

"If someone came up behind you, put their hand over your mouth and lifted you off your feet, what would you do."

"The same thing I did last time you did that, go with you."

"Ana" he moaned although I could see a smile on his face when I turned my head. "Seriously though, what would you do."

"Fight. Back when you took me, I wasn't in a very good place. If I'm honest, I didn't care what was going to happen to me because it couldn't be worse than what already had. Now things are different."

"How," he asked, turning me around so I was facing him.

"I have something worth fighting for. I've seen a life that I can not only have, but I deserve too."

"You do Ana, you deserve everything."

"Even you," I asked him.

"If you want me" he whispered, cradling my face within his hands.

"I do."

As Christian brought his lips to mine, my eyes fluttered closed. Wrapping my arms around his waist as his hands continued to cradle my face, I opened my mouth to him as he deepened the kiss. I could feel the cold metal of his gun that was tucked into the back of his pants but I ignored it, concentrating on his touch. There was no urgency like the kiss we shared in the station which was to conceal the true nature of us being there, no this was just the two of us showing the other how we really felt.

I could feel the scruff on his face, hear his ragged breaths as he moved from my mouth to kiss my neck. My breath, I couldn't catch at that moment, leaving me breathless or was that just him.

When we did break apart, it was me whose hand came up to his face as we looked into each other's eyes.

"I won't let them take you away from me Ana. I've lost enough, I won't lose you too."

"I know, and I won't let them. Now, this self-defence" I told him, earning another kiss before he moved behind me.

It didn't work. It was a waste of time as every time Christian came up behind and grabbed me, I just melted at his touch.

Poor Luke took the fall then, volunteering to teach me instead. I don't think Christian was too happy with him touching me but then again I don't think he would be happy with anyone else either. I did learn more though, following Christian's instructions on how to get out of his hold. By the time we had finished especially when Luke took on the persona of one of the creepy men who used to hang outside the building where I lived, he was soon on the floor clutching his balls.

"I'm sorry" I squealed, hearing his moans as he rolled about.

"Don't apologies Ana, you were brilliant" Elliot congratulated me.

"Speak for yourself, it's not your balls which are bruised" Luke complained, only having the energy to get onto his knees.

"I'm sorry Luke, you were a bit too creepy at the end."

"I know, I wanted to push you and it worked," he said, taking Jason's offered hand to get to his feet.

"Ana" Gail called my name, as she came over from the house.

"Yes."

"Do you have a minute sweetheart."

"Of course," I told her but I didn't get too far before Jason stopped Gail in her tracks.

"I've known you a long time Gail and I know when you're trying to hide something so out with it."

She shook her head but her focus was on me. When Barney came to stand at her side with an equally sour look on his face, my stomach dropped.

"Gail what is it."

"Your mother."

"What about her," I asked as she came forward, taking my hand.

"I'm sorry Ana, she's dead."

 **I know, I know, I hate cliffhangers too and I try to always have the next chapter ready, but I've been so busy and only just started it.**

 **As soon as it's finished I will put it up but it will probably be towards the end of the week. I should warn you though, there are a few cliffhangers to come in this story.**

 **Until next time, hopefully soon, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	8. Chapter 8

CPOV

There was not a word spoken between us as we followed Ana as she rushed to the house and into the living room. It wasn't that she didn't believe what Gail had said, more like she needed to see for herself.

How we had found out was more to do with how she died than who she was. A woman who sells herself for sex isn't really front page news but being repeatedly stabbed before the knife was left in her chest had got people taking notice.

"When did this happen" Ana asked.

"Sunday night, or the early hours of Monday morning, that's what's being reported."

"When we were in Tacoma," Ana said before turning the sound up so we could hear the reporter who was one of many who had set up camp down the road from the building where Ana had once lived.

 _Police have interviewed various visitors to the address and are also keen to speak with the victim's daughter who apparently hasn't been seen around for a few days. From what neighbours say they had a volatile relationship so until the police can speak to her and confirm her whereabouts at the time of death, Anastasia Steele remains a suspect in this case._

I wrapped my arm around Ana, holding her up as her legs almost gave way.

"I hated the way she treated me but I didn't want her dead" Ana whispered.

"This is all to draw you out," Barney said.

"What" Ana whispered as I carefully sat her on the couch.

"Today, Hyde's recording should be released if I'm correct about the dates. Remember Blandino has cops on side, so he will be hoping that you show yourself wanting to clear your name."

"Does he really think that we would let Ana do that?" Gail asked, appalled.

"He's desperate and so will Morton be after this video is released."

"What do I do" Ana asked.

"Nothing," I told her. "Barney's right Ana. They don't want that recording released today and they must think that you know how to stop it."

"To kill her like that though, for this" she whispered.

"They don't know what your relationship with her was like, only that she was your mother. In all this, she was the easiest target."

"I'm going to speak to Welch," Jason said. "He was already coming here later to pick up the file that Hyde left. Now though, I want to speak to him about bringing others in, men we've worked with before and trust."

"No newbies," I told him, seeing the shake of his head.

"No, if they haven't served with us before and we don't trust them implicitly, he can leave them at home."

I watched Jason leave the room before I turned back to Ana. She had her feet up on the couch, hugging her knees as her eyes were glued to the TV.

I stayed by her side most of the day and it was just after dinner when we all came back together again in front of the TV. I was worried about Ana as she had been so quiet but when a police officer came on the screen accompanied by her photo and one other, her tears finally fell.

"Oh my god, oh my god" she cried, looking at the screen.

At that moment there was a knife on screen, which was covered in blood. The murder weapon the cop said.

 _At present, the only fingerprints that are on the knife are those of the victim and one other who from samples taken from her bedroom, we believe to be the daughter._

"Of course their fingerprints would be on a kitchen knife, it was in their home" Gail spat, no doubt wanting to shut the reporter up.

"It was in my room," Ana said, looking at me. "I had it there because I didn't feel safe. There were men knocking on my door all night when they had finished with her or using the bathroom next door. I was so scared they would force their way in that I wanted something to protect myself with if they did. She thought it had gotten lost, but it was hidden under my bed."

I knelt before Ana, blocking the TV for a moment making her focus on me. She brought her hand up to my face, an action I was about to do to her before her words shook me.

"They're going to kill me" she whispered. "Cops, bad guys even civilians are all going to be looking for me now, I can't escape."

"No one is going to touch you, Ana," I said, angrily. "No one do you hear me. I don't care if the planet is looking for you, they won't find you, we will all keep you safe."

"The truth will come out Ana," Gail told her, placing her iPad down onto Ana's lap. "Listen," she said starting the interview that had been on the news app, turning the volume up so we could all hear.

There was an elderly woman who was speaking to the press and she didn't have nice words to say about Carla Steele.

" _I've heard what the police are saying and they're wrong. That girl, Ana is as quiet as a mouse with a beautiful heart. She has helped me up to my floor many times with my shopping, helped others out too. Now I don't want to speak ill of the dead but that woman was evil, especially to that girl. She had men coming and going day and night, selling herself if what I've heard was true."_

" _You don't think Anastasia Steele would've killed someone who hurt her," the reporter asked._

"I would," I said, honestly.

" _No, I don't. I saw her leaving days ago with a young man. Despite them getting some hassle off the scum who hang around this building, she was happy. I don't think I've ever seen that girl smile before but she seemed relieved, happy to be leaving this place behind."_

" _Has she been back."_

" _No, she hasn't and I don't want her to be. She's so much better than what this place could offer her."_

"Millie" Ana whispered. "Will they go after her now too."

"We will make sure she's safe" we heard behind us, a voice that made Ana jump.

Her hand came up, gripping my shirt as she looked at the new arrivals with fear.

"Ana, stand a moment," I asked her, pulling her up with me.

My arms came around Ana, keeping her close, although I removed my hand for a moment to shake hands with the new arrivals.

"Ana, there is nothing to fear from these men," Jason said, standing by their side.

"I'm sorry, I should be stronger than this, I just… I just feel helpless like I did back when I lived there. Every time I feel a little bit of happiness, I feel like someone takes it away again"

"I know Ana, they won't win and you will never be going back there…. Ana, this is Zac Welch, Marco Inglis and Cole woods. Zac was our Commanding Officer back in the day and Marco and Cole are part of his team."

"Have you come to arrest me?" she asked them, seeing a smile coming onto Zac's face.

"No Ma'am, we're here to protect you until we get everything sorted out."

"Have you found Morton?" Jason asked him.

"Is he missing?" I asked.

"He's taken a leave of absence, stating his father was sick" Zac told us.

"When was this" I asked him.

"The day after Blandino's dealings were revealed. He must have known what was coming and got a heads start."

"I bet that they're together," Ana said, feeling more confident now she knew the new men weren't the enemy.

I had released my grip on her somewhat but she still held tightly onto me.

"I would have to agree Ana," Jason told her. "With the photos that were revealed of Blandino, he must know it's only a matter of time before his name is out there too."

"Ana could you please give me a hand," Gail asked, smiling at my girl. I know by asking Ana, Gail is trying to keep her mind off what was going on and if it brought no more tears from her, that was perfectly fine with me.

"Of course," she said, letting go of me before she followed Gail into the kitchen.

"How's she doing" Marco asked.

"As well as can be expected. Although she has a little wobble here and there, her strength puts the rest of us to shame" I admitted.

"So you and her then" Cole asked me as I looked in the direction of the kitchen where I could hear Ana and Gail speaking.

"Yes, her and me."

"I'm happy for you man. We need to make sure we do everything possible to make sure you both stay happy too."

"I agree" Zac added. "Have you had any luck finding out where these videos are being released from."

"No, and it's pissing me off" Barney admitted. "I can normally follow a trail easily but he's set up that many false trails, roadblocks in the way, there is no way to tell where it's being released from. There is a clock ticking down somewhere and it's about to cause a hell of an explosion."

"Can we take a look at this stuff you got from the locker?" Zac asked as we followed Jason through the pantry and down the stairs, into the basement.

"Sure, but there's a lot," Jason warned him.

All the papers still covered the table down here as they had painstakingly been going through them to see what they contained. I feel like I have shirked some of my responsibilities as it was usually Barney and me who worked out most of the details but building up Ana's confidence as well as her knowledge on how to protect herself, had taken precedence over everything else.

"Shit, you're not kidding," Zac said, picking up some of the photos. "Is there details to go with these photos."

"Some have bits written on the back but most details are in his journals. Dates, times, every tiny bit of information has been logged down by him. I think in a lot of cases, the photos speak for themselves, but whether any of it will hold up in court for some of these people is another thing" Barney told him.

"I think people like Blandino are past court," I stated, silencing the room.

"I would have to agree," Zac said. "He's a loose cannon now. He doesn't have to abide by the laws as far as he's concerned. He knows that once the real cops catch up with him he will be spending life behind bars, that makes him more dangerous and he will do anything, kill anyone who gets in his way."

"Ana said something last night, confirmed something in my mind which I think I've always known."

"What's that," Jason asked me.

"That Blandino was behind my dad and sisters death. He might not have been the one who set the bomb off or was even there but I think he was the one who ordered the kill. Within days, I checked, he was vying for the job of Senator. Cane was in the way so he got rid of him and my family too."

"If that's true then, he deserves everything that's coming to him," Jason said angrily.

We spent time talking not just about Blandino but also Fernandez. Just his name on my tongue wanted to send me into a murderous rage but I had to contain it, for now.

We watched Hyde's recording, his message to those who had betrayed his country, again and again.

"Why does he make it sound like there is more to come," Cole asked.

"Maybe there is. We were so focused on there being no message for Ana, we never thought that Hyde had more videos to release" Barney said.

"And that puts Ana in an even more dangerous situation," I told them.

"I know" Zac agreed. "I mean we know Blandino associates with Fernandez but the pool he pisses in will seem like a puddle compared to the ocean that surrounds Fernandez. Ana figured out the clues to get us this, with her association with Hyde and how long he kept her around, they're going to automatically think she knows more."

"Maybe she does but she doesn't know about it," Luke stated.

"I highly doubt that," I said, disagreeing with him. "Ana said she stayed as far away from him as possible because he gave her the creeps."

"He did" we heard behind us, as we all turned on cue to see Ana stood there.

"What did you speak about," Zac asked her as she came over to stand by me, refusing my offered seat before resting her hand on my shoulder.

"Work mostly, although he was amused that I would rather spend my time when I left, in a railway station than rushing home."

"That's why he chose that particular station to leave you this."

"Yes, like I have said previously, he used my misery for his own gain. If I had found his message on my own and realised the clues though, I would've never gone there on my own. I would've never had the courage to do it."

"You did though," he said, smiling at her.

"Only because I'm surrounded by these guys. I borrow their strength."

"No, you're finally free to allow yours to come through," I told her, earning a smile.

"Gail sent me down to tell you dinner is ready if you're hungry."

"We're always hungry," Luke said, making Ana smile as he got up from the chair rubbing his stomach.

Everyone else got up to leave but Ana held my hand tight, wanting me to stay behind. With everyone out of sight, I wrapped my arms around her, holding her to me tightly.

"In the station when I kissed you, that was my first kiss" she confessed shyly. "I suppose you've had lots but you were my first."

"Ana," I said, placing my finger over her lips. "No one has ever mattered to me as much as you do. Although you weren't my first, that honour went to Ellie May in kindergarten, you will be my last."

She giggled at my confession, giggling, even more, when I told her that Ellie May had pushed me up against the wall too and demanded she kisses me. I was terrified at the time as her lips came closer but as I placed mine now against Ana's, her kiss, her touch was what I craved.

….

I was sat in the den with Jason and Zac, Gail and Ana going up to bed an hour before. Hyde's video had been released as he had planned only a couple of hours ago and as was expected the internet had gone crazy, the video already having been viewed in its millions by now.

Every news channel was covering the story and I suspect many more across the world. Wherever Fernandez is he has to be panicking now because if Hyde or whoever took that recording of him could get that close, who else could.

Like we all knew it would, there were no changes to the recording we had seen. There was no time limit given to when another video would be released but from the way he worded it, there had to be more.

"Was Hyde's office at SIP ever checked?" I asked, more to myself than those others in the room.

It was Zac that answered me though.

"Yes, apparently after his death the company cleared his office out, putting all his personal files into storage. After the first video was released, a request was made from Seattle PD for those files."

"Did they get them?" Jason asked.

"Yes. SIP was only too happy to get rid of them."

"You said Morton took immediate leave after the first video, has he been back to work, I mean the building, not the job," I asked.

"I don't think so. I have a friend there, Oscar and he said no one has seen him and they don't know when he was coming back" Zac told me.

"Never after this," I said pointing to the TV.

We spoke for a while longer before I went to the room I slept in here. My mind was on the room upstairs though or more like the occupant.

She was safe here, probably more so than any other place, or so I thought when I was woken by a fireball filling the sky.

I had not been in bed long, and by the clock, I must have only fallen asleep but I was out of bed, rushing to the window to see what was going on.

The storeroom at the shooting range where I had had my meltdown only a few days ago was ablaze, more than it should've if it was just an ordinary fire. There was nothing in there that would've caused the building to go up like that so that thought alone had me reaching for my gun, grabbing my shoes and running up the stairs.

I rushed through Ana's bedroom door, scaring the shit out of her in the process as she was just getting out of bed.

"Christian, what's going on," she asked, terrified.

"I don't know" I confessed but whatever it was, it wasn't safe for her here.

"Get Ana to the basement" I heard Jason shout as doors banged open all over the house. It was another sound that I heard that made my heart stop for a second, the sound of gunfire. They were close, too close and as I heard windows smashing at the front of the house, I knew the option of getting to the basement was out.

"Baby get some shoes on, we need to get out of here," I told her, locking her bedroom door and pushing the dresser behind it.

"What, Gail, Jason."

"They will be fine. Come on we need to go" I told her, rushing to her closet to get a jacket for her.

I was thankful that Gail had stocked it with clothes for Ana, as needing something warm was essential as we needed to get out of this house.

Leading Ana over to the window, I could see the panic in her eyes.

"Christian, what," she asked, her voice shaken as I opened it quietly.

"I won't lead you through the house, Ana," I told her. "It's not safe."

Whoever had managed to breach our security was in the house. How they got in is what I want to know and I know I'm not going to like the answer when I find out because someone has betrayed us.

Looking out the window, I took in the sloping roof below us that would eventually lead to a large drop. Our other options were, we had none unless we chanced going over the roof to the balcony in Jason's room. Up there though, we would be sitting ducks.

"Christian, what do we do," she asked me. "What do we do."

"Go down, slide down," I told her. "We will have a large drop at the bottom but we can't get out any other way."

"There are bushes below us, in the garden."

"Hopefully that will not only give us a soft landing but hopefully a quieter one too. When we land, we run, across the garden and into the woods beyond. If I get held up for any reason, you continue to run."

"I'm not going without you" she cried, turning her head towards the door when we heard a bang outside in the hall. I turned her back towards me, getting her to sit beside me on the window ledge.

"I will be right with you Ana," I said, gripping her hand as we started to slide down the roof.

I heard someone ahead shout out our location, this someone now running towards us. Lifting my gun, I took a shot, leaving them unmoving on the floor.

After thankfully having a soft landing in the bushes below, I grabbed Ana's hand before we ran across the lawn, past the body, ignoring the shouts from behind us from the people who were now in Ana's room.

I didn't want to think of the fact that for them to be there then either the others had reached the basement or some of them were hurt or worse. I had to concentrate on getting Ana away, making sure we both dodged the bullets that were pinging all around us.

We reached the private road on Jason's property that led down to the house, quickly crossing it. There was an old mine shaft here, hidden away down a rarely used track and it was here we were heading because there should be a car inside.

"How did they know Christian, how," Ana asked as we ran through the trees.

"Someone betrayed us Ana, either that or Zac, Marco and Cole were followed here."

"They only arrived here yesterday, how could someone set something up so fast."

"I don't know, I will be finding out though," I said angrily as we reached the mine, quietly making our way inside.

It was in this place when I made sure no one was here that I pulled Ana into my arms. I could feel her shaking as she held me close and although I know we needed to move, I would let her catch her breath.

"Where do we go," she asked me.

"At this moment, we just drive. I need to try and contact Jason but first, we need to get away from here."

I got her into the car, preparing to leave this mine. We had only been here a matter of minutes but even that felt too long so pulling out of this place, I didn't wait around.

I put my foot down as we hit the main road, hoping to god my team were still in one piece when we got hold of them. We soon had other things to worry about though as another car came alongside.

"CHRISTIAN" Ana screamed as a bullet hit the window.

"Ana, it's fine, it's fine," I told her, trying to calm her down. "The windows are bulletproof."

"I'm sorry," she said, jumping when another bullet hit the window at my side.

"Don't be. I'm going to get rid of these and then I will get us someplace safe, ok."

Seeing her nod, I told Ana to hold on before I rammed the other car, sending it skidding into the gravel at the side of the road. It didn't take it out but it bought me a few moments to think.

On this road, I knew up ahead it wound around the top of the cliffs and that would give us the perfect opportunity to get rid of him. I saw the man at the wheel, the shooter too, none who I recognised.

Asking Ana to get the rifle from under her seat, I then asked her to take the wheel once I had moved us into position to get the best shot.

"Christian, what, I can't drive, I've never," she said, panic in her voice.

"I know," I told her. "I just want you to take the wheel, keep us going straight for just a few seconds."

She reached for the wheel, while I opened the window, lining up for the perfect shot. Ana told me there was a bend coming up but I wasn't worried about that as this would all be over before then.

Taking first a shot at the tyre which blew out thankfully the first time, I then aimed for the windscreen. Each bullet from then on shattered the glass. I wasn't sure if it was a bullet from my gun or the crash that killed them but with the way the car went up in flames after careering off the side of the road, there was no walking away from that.

Taking back control of the wheel, I continued to drive us away from Jason and Gail's.

The best place for us to go at the moment was probably my place but I didn't know who else was around or if someone was already there waiting for us. If they could breach the security at Jason's house, then mine could be just the same.

I had no idea where we were going, just far away from here. I will find somewhere safe and then try and make contact. I just hope someone answers when I call.

 **I need a lie down now, as I feel like I've just run away with them.**

 **I would say that not every chapter is as action-packed as this one but I would probably be lying.**

 **Christian and Ana do have a little action of a different kind next chapter though as they grow closer still.**

 **Until then, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	9. Chapter 9

APOV

"Ana, baby wake up… Come on sleepy head, I have breakfast."

I opened my eyes looking at Christian who was sat on the side of the bed, a paper bag and two cups in his hands. For a moment, I forgot where we were and why we were here, the remnants of my dream still floating through my mind.

"Morning" I groaned, stretching my body and savouring the fact that I could actually move.

We had spent last night staying in a little motel which Christian tells me is on the outskirts of a town called Yelm. I will have to take his word for it as being wanted by the police, keeping my head down or hiding undercover in the back of the rental car we now had meant any sightseeing was definitely out.

After leaving Gail and Jason's, Christian had driven through the night before we ditched the car in Portland. Hiring a car there, we didn't go far before our car was switched again. Being able to sleep in a real bed and not in the car was a luxury, one that might not happen often as moving about is all we can do at the moment.

It's been two days and Christian has not been able to get in contact with anyone back there. The longer time goes on, the more concerned he gets.

"Have you heard anything?" I asked, taking the steaming cup of tea from him.

"Not yet. If they got out of that house, they would've scattered. There are various places they would've headed to under normal circumstances."

"These are not normal circumstances," I told him, seeing his sad smile.

"No, they're not. A few days ago, I would've trusted all those men with my life and I wouldn't have hesitated to trust them to protect you too. Something happened that night, and at first, I was wondering whether we got sloppy and were followed coming or going to the house, Gail even. I can understand if they found the outside but to get as far as they did, bypassing every security feature that Barney had put in place."

"Means it was someone on the inside," I said, confirming his fears.

"It had to be, there is no other option unless they have someone who's as computer savvy as Barney and was able to knock out all his computers from a distance, rendering them useless."

"You don't really think that do you," I asked him.

"No. The reason we had everything in the basement was because of how protected it was, not just from a physical attack but a cyber one too. Someone who was there did this and when I find out who."

"You deal with them."

"I will now come, eat something because you're wasting away with worry," he told me, placing a kiss to my lips before he opened the bag of food.

…

All day, we waited for the phone to ring but there was no call until after dark. It actually startled us as we had been speaking quietly about our plan if no one answered the call.

Christian had left a coded message at the various safe houses they had across the state which only his team would be able to decipher. He told me he knew he was taking a chance as at this moment he didn't know who was against us but he couldn't think that after all the missions they had been on, all the time that they had spent together, that one would betray the team now. I know the one person he really wanted to speak to was Jason and thankfully it was him who called.

"Are you alright?" Jason asked as soon as Christian answered the call.

"Fine" was all Christian was able to say at that moment, relieved no doubt that his best friend was ok.

"Christian, speak to me. Are you both ok, are you're safe."

"Yes, we're fine. Gail?"

"She's fine, blubbering at the moment that you both got away ok."

She wasn't the only one who was shedding a few tears, while Christian wrapped his arm tightly around me.

"I'm sorry Ana. I promised you that you would be safe in our home and you weren't" Gail called out.

"Gail, I never thought I would have a real home again and you all gave me that. One where I could sleep without worrying, one where no matter what is happening now, I have never felt safer."

I could hear her crying at my words, unable to respond to me through her sobs. I've shed a lot of tears in my short life, felt my heart break many times before too. None of it compared though, to hear the woman who had become a mother to me, in pain.

"What the fuck happened Jason."

"We had only just got downstairs when the front windows went in. I managed to get Gail to the basement where we found Barney, going crazy with his computers."

"What no, it wasn't him," I asked.

"No, of course not. He said the computers were being jammed, something that no one on the outside of the building could do so he started looking around. He found this thing attached to the back of one of the monitors, hell if I know what it was but it scrambled all the computers, knocking out every security feature we had."

"Do we know how it got there" Christian asked and I could feel his anger.

"It was Marco. I have no idea how he brought in explosives as they were only there a short time, but he had plenty of opportunities while we were all in the basement to plant the device."

"You only called Welch in that day," Christian told him.

"I know but I had been speaking to him ever since we took this mission, getting him to keep an ear out for Blandino and Morton through legal channels and he was reporting back every bit of information he found. He knew we had you Ana and as his team I thought was as close as ours, he had obviously shared what was going on."

"We've worked with Marco on missions, shit he even saved my life when we were in Florida so why the fuck would he betray us now," Christian asked him.

"I don't know Christian. Marco said he was going to the shooting range a few hours before we went up to bed. Cole went with him if I remember correctly. Barney found Cole once he had got the cameras up and running again, unconscious down the side of the garage. I suppose he didn't want to kill someone who he classed as a friend. I think whoever these other guys were, were already at the door before the explosion even went off which would've caused a panic that they hoped to take advantage of. We were surrounded Christian, there was nothing any of us could do…. We lost Luke."

"What" Christian whispered.

"I had left Gail in the basement with Barney because as soon as they arrived, it was like the people who were in the house retreated. I think now it was because you left. As soon as I was outside, I could hear shouting, gunfire, over by the cliffs so I ran in that direction because at that point besides Barney, I had no clue to where the rest of our team was. I expected to find one of you fighting with an unknown but I found Luke, screaming at Marco about being a traitor, and that he had betrayed us all. Marco was wearing a backpack, one we hadn't seen before which we found out after, contained amongst other things, remote detonators. Not realising that Marco who had been shot and on the ground still had his gun, Luke turned to me when he heard my approach. That's when Marco took a shot before taking his last breaths. Luke stumbled backwards with the impact of the bullet, losing his footing at the edge of the cliff and fell into the water below. It was so dark, I couldn't see him. You know what it's like down there, it's dangerous even in the day. I shouted his name, hearing nothing back but the waves below so I ran back to the house, getting a torch but it wasn't strong enough to penetrate far into the darkness below. Despite Elliot getting better light, we still couldn't see him against the rocks so we stayed on that cliff, long after it was light but we couldn't find him."

"It's not your fault Jason" We heard Gail say and it was the truth. None of this was on Jason.

"Where are the others," I asked.

"Both Elliot and Barney have been at the house, taking whatever they think we'll need. After that, they're going to your place Christian."

"Tell them to be careful. As far as we know Marco didn't know about that place but at the moment, we need to question everything he did know or he could've found out. Where do we regroup" Christian asked him.

"I've been thinking about that. About a place that not even Welch knows about… Your place."

"Really, you want to go there," Christian asked him quietly.

"We have everything there Christian, plus it was the last place that Blandino and Morton were seen. It's time to forget about Hyde, let him do as much damage as he can with these videos. I know you're both worried about you being more of a target Ana because of him but until we deal with the source and not the distraction, that's how it's always going to be. We need to get rid of the problem and then clear your name. I'm sending Gail away to the island, in other circumstances, I would suggest Ana, you go too."

"NO," Christian said, louder than I think he meant.

"I know, you're safer with Christian Ana, we all know that. I will get Gail to safety and then we will meet up."

"What about Luke," I asked the question I know was too painful for Christian to ask.

"Elliot keeps looking. He even went down to the bottom of the cliff but there was no sign. He wouldn't give up, feels guilty because he felt he never gave him a chance. With the strong current, I don't know where he will be found. Zac..."

"You're including him" Christian asked.

"You know Zac, Christian. We've served with him, under him."

"We served with Marco too."

"I know but Zac's been our friend for a long time. We've been through hell and back together over the years, Marco and Cole are basically newbies compared to how many missions we did with Zac."

"No newbies" I whispered, what Christian had said to Jason only days ago.

He heard me, I could see it by the pain on his face for his lost friend. Marco had been dealt with but we know there will be more coming for us. Just how many of us will be left in the end, I didn't know.

Christian ended the call with Jason, but I knew his mind was still with him. For some time to come, he will question everything, every conversation, every piece of information that was shared within the group, that was then passed on to those who had tried to kill us only days ago.

I watched as he once again stood by the window, only a different one this time. Stood sentry, watching everything and everyone who passed the place where we stayed.

Getting up from the bed, I walked over to Christian, wrapping my arms around his waist as I placed a kiss onto his back. Christian shivered at my touch before he turned around so he could face me.

"I can't send you away Ana. I can't protect you if you're not with me."

I placed a finger over his lips, silencing his worries for a second.

"I know Christian. As I said just days ago at the shooting range, the safest place for me to be, is with you."

He kissed my finger before moving onto my hand as he backed me away from the window. The curtains moved back in place now there was no one holding them back, the only natural light coming from the small window in the bathroom.

His lips came down on my own hard, my breaths stolen by him. As I gently bit his bottom lip, Christian opened his mouth to me before deepening the kiss. Our tongues tangled together as our bodies came closer still. This, here, now, both of us wrapped around the other was what was needed.

Being bold, I gripped the bottom of his t-shirt, lifting it over his head. No words were spoken as to how far things would go between us, we just continued to kiss and remove each other's clothes.

Standing in front of a man naked for the first time, I thought I would want to cover myself up. Christian gave me confidence though, he made me feel beautiful, strong and not that weak, terrified girl I once was.

"Ana," he mumbled, in between kisses to my lips, my ear and my neck. His hands were everywhere from my face down to my butt. "You're beautiful, so so beautiful."

"I want you, all of you" I whispered against his lips before I was lifted off my feet and placed onto the bed.

Lying here with him stood naked beside me was the first time I had the chance to take him all in. I had felt Christian's strength as he held me, felt how gentle he was with me too. That didn't change as he lay down beside me, his lips capturing my own once again.

I don't think I could ever describe the feelings I felt as Christian made love to me. Cherished, protected, loved are to name but a few but it was more, so much more than anything my heart had ever felt before.

It hurt at first, I remember reading that it would in the many stories I had read in the library, hoping, wishing that someone, someday would sweep me off my feet like the heroine it the books. Constantly Christian checked I was alright, that he wasn't hurting me but all I could do was urge him to continue, my moans giving him an indication of how I felt.

As Christian took my nipple into his mouth, sucking gently, that brought on a whole new set of feelings down below, those I know I had never felt before. If felt like an explosion, waiting to go off, only it would shatter my body when it did. As Christian's groans grew louder, along with my own, I knew the explosion was in sight.

"Ana, come for me" he groaned in my ear, his pace picking up speed as his hand moved down my body, touching a part of me that had never been touched before.

His words, his movements, his hand especially, brought forth a feeling inside me and I could do nothing but let it out. Along with his name that echoed around the room, my cries joined it. I knew I was inexperienced, hell before Christian I had done nothing, but to feel that feeling again, those tingles, those butterflies that had filled me, I would do anything. Seeing the look on Christian's face as he joined me in ecstasy, that look is what I would give everything I had to see again.

Above me, Christian panted, trying to catch his breath. Seeing his smile, the first one I had seen in days brought one to my own face. There was a war going on out there, hell, but in these few sacred moments of calm, there was just us.

Christian removed the condom, flushing it down the toilet before joining me back in bed. I had bled a little, there was nothing to stop it and for now, we ignored it. I know when we do finally leave this room, there will be a few items missing because Christian said we would leave no evidence of us being there behind and a bloody bed sheet was definitely that.

"I hate those little fuckers" he groaned, making me laugh, as he picked the condom packet up and threw it at the bag that contained the few items we had.

"Aptly named but I think they're needed, for now. I've never had a reason to get the shot or the pill before."

"I know Ana, when we're safe we will worry about things like that. How are you, are you sore" he asked me.

"You want to go again" I teased, making him laugh.

"Anytime, with you but I'd rather not if it means hurting you."

"It hurt a little to start but that was quickly replaced by pleasure," I told him shyly, seeing him smile at my blush. "I do have to ask though, where and when did you get the little fuckers."

"When I went for breakfast. I had to use the bathroom and there was a machine in there on the wall. I knew we were close and getting closer by the day. I just wanted to be prepared if we ever did take that step, I just never expected it to be now."

"You regret not waiting," I asked, seeing the immediate shake of his head.

"No Ana, I would wait forever as long as it was when you were ready."

"I was ready, I am to have everything with you."

He smiled, kissing my lips before getting out of bed.

"I think a hot bath is needed before we get out of here."

"We're leaving tonight," I asked him, my high from moments ago disappearing as I remembered why we were here, bringing me down to earth with a bump.

"It's safer for us to leave at night instead of waiting for morning. There is less chance of us being seen."

"Where are we going," I asked, seeing a sadness appear on his face.

"Seattle."

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **The team will be back together again next chapter, minus Luke of course and Gail.**

 **Until next time, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	10. Chapter 10

CPOV

"Penny for your thoughts, old man" Ana said as we approached Seattle.

Her words made me smile but it couldn't eclipse what I felt inside. To lose Luke was one thing, to have to come back here again though, brought on a whole new world of pain.

"I I I..." I stuttered which was so unlike me.

"Tell me about them," she asked, reaching for my hand.

I brought her hand to my lips, placing a kiss on top before she entwined her fingers with mine.

"My dad was a lawyer, the best in the business and although his job didn't always gel with family life, he tried to be there for as much as he could. I know you miss your dad Ana, I miss mine too."

"What was your sister like, Mia."

"She was a lot like you," I told her honestly.

"How so."

"She was incredibly intelligent, and a complete breath of fresh air. My parents struggled to get pregnant after me and had pretty much given up hope when my mum fell pregnant with Mia. My dad's brother said she was a whoops baby, not planned but she so was. It just took a long time for her to arrive. Most older brothers would stay away, call a younger sibling annoying and keep them out of their room. With Mia, I loved her being around, ever since she was first placed into my arms." I looked to Ana, sadness marring her features which I know was mirrored in my own. "The beach, she loved it there and would've happily never gone home. That's why I bought a place on the beach, bought a beach actually as when I was there, it felt like she was near."

Speaking about dad and Mia was like a double-edged sword. I wanted people to know about them, I wanted Ana to know what amazing people they were but each word spoken, hurt, making me miss them more and more.

"You never speak about your mother," Ana stated quietly, bringing me out of my thoughts. Just hearing her name felt like I had been hit in the chest.

I shook my head, not being able to speak about her at the moment because despite losing dad and Mia, losing my mother had hurt most of all.

"I can't" I mumbled.

"Hey, it's ok. It doesn't matter" Ana told me, kissing the top of my hand.

"I will soon Ana, just not when we're in the car."

Driving through the streets of the city that had once been home, I was looking everywhere. It wasn't lost on me that this was where Blandino once lived and for all we know, he could still be here.

Jason had mentioned when we were speaking about his location only a week ago that we might have to come here. I suppose fate forced our hand, bringing us here earlier than we planned.

"Where are we going," Ana asked.

"Escala."

"Is that a neighbourhood, suburb. I don't really know my way around apart from the route between the railway station and S.I.P."

"No Escala is a building, an apartment building. I purchased the penthouse a few years ago as it was closest to the airfield we use most often and has come in handy when I've flown us out of there."

"Hold up a second," she said, startling me. "You've flown them out of there."

"Yes Ana, I have held a pilots licence for many years," I admitted, smiling at the look of shock on her face.

"Wow, that's hot. My old man can fly."

I laughed at her nickname for me, liking it more and more every time she said it. Unfortunately, the laughter didn't last for long because pulling into the underground garage at Escala, the worry was back again.

I parked up in my usual spot, seeing the place Jason parks still empty. I suppose some would think having an apartment in the middle of the city was not ideal, especially considering the job we do. It's close to everything though and despite being on the top floor, there is more than one way of escape.

"Ready," I asked Ana as she put the cap I had purchased upon her head. With her hair down, it would create a curtain around her face.

The police and probably half the country were looking for a blond, something Ana will never be again.

"I'm ready" she confirmed as I took one last look around us before getting out of the car.

I had my hand on my gun at all times, keeping it hidden in my jacket. I wished Barney was here though so he could knock out the cameras.

Placing her hand in mine, I helped Ana from the car and once it was locked behind us, I quickly led her to the elevator. Once inside, I pulled her close to me, looking like we were in an embrace. Anyone who did see us would think that we were a couple in love, completely wrapped up in the other.

After entering the code for the penthouse we were soon climbing upwards. It didn't matter if anyone called the elevator now, they would have to wait because, with the overriding features, it wouldn't stop until we got to the top.

Stepping out of the elevator, we watched the doors close behind us, before taking our first breaths of relief. There were no cameras in the small foyer apart from the ones Barney had installed. That was one of the first things that were changed as soon as the keys to the penthouse were mine.

I locked off the elevator to this floor which could only be overridden by the code. Once this was done, I faced the doors of my apartment with Ana.

"Do you have it?" I asked Ana, receiving her little nod. "Get it out then."

Ana pulled from the bag she carried, the small gun I had given her. She was yet to shoot it as we have never been in a place safe enough to try so far but I had told her how to use it, and especially how to aim.

This goes along with the self-defence I taught her, hoping to god she never needed to use either. If I'm honest with myself though, those days are gone and despite hating to even think it, I know it could be a matter of time until she needs both.

I opened the doors to the apartment, hearing the alarm timer starting to beep. I had ten seconds to disarm it, which I did in five, rendering the apartment silent.

Every room I checked, every nook and cranny that someone could hide in was seen as we toured the apartment, guns in hand. Our alarms had been set at Jason's so although it looked like nobody had been here, I wouldn't settle completely until I had checked everywhere.

"Christian, no one's here," Ana said as I finally lowered my gun, putting it into the back of my pants.

"I know, I just had to check. I won't take any chances with you, Ana."

"I know" she whispered, wrapping her arms around me.

As I held her I looked around the large living room and through the windows to the city beyond. There were places here I'd had a lot of fun in over the years, a lot of memories that had been ripped away from me. Looking down into Ana's beautiful blue eyes, I finally started to speak.

"You asked about my mother," I said, leading her over to the couches.

"If you're not ready."

"It's not that I'm not ready Ana, it's just hard to talk about. My mum, I adored her. She was a doctor, still is I think. Despite working long shifts sometimes, she would always make time to ask about our day, check our homework, the usual mother stuff. I was a typical kid, loved playing ball and out with my friends most of the time. I was in my final year of high school and I suppose I was going through a rebel phase, pushing the boundaries, you know coming in late, smoking" I told her huffing out a laugh. "Mum being mum told dad I would grow out of it, that with my grades, I was still in the top five percent of my year. Mum being the doctor, came home with pamphlets one day to the effects of smoking and drinking, the latter I didn't think she knew anything about. The day… life all went to hell, I had been with a girl from school…. Shit, I don't want to speak to you about her, just she was there. I was late, always seemed to be lately and if truth be told, it was because I was panicking that high school was coming to an end and I still had no clue what I wanted to do beyond that. If I'd been on time."

"Then we wouldn't be having this conversation now because you might not have been here," she told me.

"She blamed me."

"How could she, you didn't set the bomb," Ana told me appalled.

"I was a disappointment to her. I couldn't even turn up on time to my sisters birthday treat. I just took it, her anger, her words. I just wanted to hold her but she continued to push me away, so I left. I thought it would be easier for her, not to see me around every day. If I wasn't there, I couldn't cause her any more pain."

"Have you seen her since?" she asked me.

"I've driven by her house, not recently though. I even sat outside the hospital just so I could see her there when I was on my first home leave. She seemed ok, I think."

"Losing dad, I would've given anything just to have one last conversation with him, share another tea party despite me being too old for them now. I understand grief all too well and I know people deal with it differently but your mother hit out at the wrong person. You were all she had left, but instead of grieving with you, she pushed you away."

"She did, she was so angry and I took it all while I wanted, waited for the world to end. The pain of me being there, a constant reminder to her of what she'd lost as well as the pain I felt with no longer feeling welcome was too much so I turned and walked away."

I didn't realise her words and mine had brought tears to my eyes until Ana brushed them away. I'm the first to admit that I miss my mum but she's safer, better off with me out of the way.

….

I had woken up on the couch with Ana sleeping in my arms a few hours later. Taking her to my bedroom which would be ours now, I tucked her into bed, before heading to the office.

Entering, I bypassed the desk which made it look like an ordinary office and on to the bookshelves behind. Pulling my favourite book as a child down, Huckleberry Finn, I put my hand onto the scanner that it had hid, before stepping back as the shelves parted, revealing the panic room behind.

I could start a war from my apartment with the amount of weapons I had here, most of them army grade. I had no plans to start one though, just to make sure one ends with us all still alive at the end of it.

Flicking the monitors on, I could soon see the whole apartment, even my sleeping girl. All the doors, windows, even the garbage chute was alarmed in case anyone tried to get in, plus the freight elevator was locked off so it would not be able to get to this floor. Turning the alarm on for the main elevator so I would know the second anyone inputted a code, I left the office altogether, heading into the kitchen to hopefully find some food.

Opening the refrigerator, you only had to look to see what an unhealthy life I once led. Beer, take away pizza which could be a science experiment with the amount of fur that covered it and something that had long ago been fruit which was now more liquid than solid. Feeling embarrassed with myself at how much of a slob I had once been, I quickly got rid of the food before opening a beer.

"Christian" I heard Ana call from the bedroom.

"Ana, I'm in the kitchen" I called out to her as she came into view.

"This place is so big," she laughed, walking into my open arms. "I ended up in the closet first, instead of out here."

"I see you found something to wear," I said, looking down at the t-shirt of mine that she now wore.

"Living in the same clothes for a few days or should I say stinking in the same clothes for a few days, you grab for anything that's clean. I'm wearing your boxers too but you wouldn't be able to tell with the length of the t-shirt."

"I will have to go looking for them later," I told her, placing a kiss to her lips. "Come, help me find something to eat that isn't going to give us food poisoning."

I watched Ana walk over to the fridge where she opened it, looked at me and then quickly closed it again. Declaring that the fridge should be condemned because it stunk, she started to pull some items from the freezer.

The mac and cheese that Gail had made was out as it had freezer burn Ana told me. We did manage to find some chicken pieces that were still in date, some vegetables too and with a few things from the cupboard, Ana soon had dinner on the go.

"Who taught you to cook," I asked her as she turned to me, spatula in hand.

"Gail," she told me. "I was too terrified to spend more than a few minutes in the kitchen when I lived in Tacoma but with Gail, she let me experiment, burn a few items but I think I cooked more in my short time there than at any other time in my life."

"What did you eat back there."

"Scraps mainly. Whatever was in the fridge or I could pull out of the cupboard quickly. Even as a kid there was more alcohol around than food. I went from a kid who was teased for being chubby when dad was alive to being constantly asked if I had an eating disorder. I wanted to eat, there was just never any food around."

"Those days are gone, Ana. You will never go back to being hungry again."

"I know."

Ana finished the stir fry she was making while I set the table. I didn't know how long we would be here but I did know we would need some food and also some clothes for Ana. I do admit having her gorgeous legs on display for me was a bonus though so maybe the clothes could wait a while.

…

The next morning I had spoken to Barney who had told me that my home had been clean. No one had tampered with anything, no one had been there except him and Elliot. They had left the weapons that I stored there, taking what they needed from Jason and Elliot's homes. I doubt they will be needed though with what I had here.

Leaving Ana in the apartment, I went out to get a few supplies. She was in the panic room there and was the only person who could open the door now she was locked up inside. My home was like a fortress but I still wasn't taking any chances with her so she was tucked up tight with a cup of tea and a book while I hopefully abet reluctantly got her some clothes.

Once again like the night I had met Ana, I wore a full beard and moustache. My coat was done up tight and I had a cap on my head. No one was looking for me, well no one legal was looking for me but that didn't mean they couldn't find Ana if I was spotted.

Ana is still the number one suspect in her mother's murder as far as the police are concerned. They have even stated that they had seen posts on her Facebook page that incriminate her even more. A

Facebook page, Ana has never even had.

Someone had tried planting more evidence against her, writing posts that she hated her mother and wished she was dead. As I originally thought, someone on Blandino or Fernandez's side was computer savvy because some of these posts had been made to look months old.

I entered the large store down the road from Escala, looking around to see what they had. I know Ana's safe up there and that no one could get to her but that didn't mean that I didn't rush.

Here, I was able to pick up some jeans, tops and sweaters, some shoes for her too. I have to admit that I did take a few extra moments to look at the bras and panties though, eventually choosing something that was not too revealing, hence not embarrassing her or me being declared a pervert.

Ana has a beautiful body, one I could look at all day. I'm glad she doesn't get nervous under my gaze though as she doesn't need to.

Paying for my purchases for not just the clothes but food too, I quickly made my way back to Escala, breathing a sigh of relief when I was stood outside the still locked door to the panic room.

"Hello, Bella's pizza service," Ana said, upon answering the phone that was inside.

"Baby, it's me. You can open the door," I replied, amused at the voice she had put on.

I could hear the locks releasing before the door started to open. Within seconds, Ana was out and in my arms.

"You're ok," she said, checking me over.

"I'm fine Ana, I brought you some clothes," I told her, nodding to the bags that were on the desk.

"What did you bring," she asked me, opening the closest bag.

"Just the essentials."

"Essentials, really," she said, smiling as she pulled lace panties from the bag. They were tame compared to some I had looked at so I just nodded, earning a laugh from her. "I will be sure to model them for you later" she called out, leaving me in the office as she headed to the bedroom with the bags.

…

I used to wonder how Gail coped all these years when we were out of contact, away on missions. Waiting for my team's arrival, even a call, I think I knew a little of how she felt now.

Only three people had this number now besides Ana, one Jason would've had to work out before he made the initial call when we were in Yelm.

I know Jason wouldn't leave Gail until she was safely away so the waiting game continued. At this moment in time, I didn't know if Elliot and Barney were with them and would arrive with Jason or they would arrive first.

"They will come, Christian," Ana told me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"I know they will Ana… I worry because these people are my family. I've lost one, I can't lose another."

"I know" she whispered, kissing my lips.

I was just getting lost in the kiss we shared when the alarm went off to signal that the elevator up to this floor had been activated. Upon arriving here, changing the code was one of the first things I did before sending the new one to Jason.

Opening the apartment door, I had my gun in hand, making sure that Ana had hers too as we waited for the elevator to reach us.

When it finally opened to reveal Jason, Barney and Elliot, I actually sagged in relief.

"Wow, you have Ana packing. You have come far little one" Elliot said, making us smile.

"I think it's necessary," Ana told him as we moved out of the way so they could enter the apartment.

The second I closed the door after locking off the elevator to this floor and making sure the door was locked behind us, Luke's absence was noticeable. Despite not being with our team as long as the others, despite being a pain in the arse too, he was my friend, my brother and just as Charlie did, he left a gaping hole that could never be filled.

I hugged Jason before moving on to the others, before watching Ana being hugged too. She was their little sister as far as Elliot especially was concerned, a member of the special family we shared.

"How's Gail," I asked Jason.

"She was ok, upset at having to leave. I just can't have her here right now."

"Where is she," Ana asked.

"On her way to the Caribbean, an island in fact. We did a little work a few years back for a guy out there. His wife had been taken and he was eternally grateful that we got her back unharmed. I suppose outside of our group if we said we had friends, it would be Liam and Nessa. There are not many people I trust in this world, even fewer now. I trust them to keep her safe though" he told her.

"I miss her" Ana confessed seeing the nod of Jason's head.

"She misses you too Ana, very much. She gave us all instructions that if one hair on your head is harmed, we will all be answering to her."

"Believe me Gail is the last person you want to piss off," Barney told her.

Getting out of the hallway, they all took their bags to their rooms. I know we have a lot to talk about, a lot to plan too while we're here but there is something I think needs to happen first.

Heading into the kitchen with Ana, I took the bottle of bourbon I had purchased on my shopping trip from the cupboard. I had spoken to Ana earlier, letting her know what I wanted to do so it was of no surprise to see her getting glasses out.

I was filling the glasses when we were joined by the boys who all took their offered drink.

"To Luke," I said, raising my glass.

"To the idiot who had better be found" Elliot added and I knew he was still struggling with the fact Luke was gone and he wasn't the only one.

"To safer days ahead" Barney added.

"To finding Luke, getting rid of the scum that is Blandino and Morton and hopefully ending the nightmare that is Fernandez too," Jason said raising his glass.

"To family and being back together again soon" Ana added as our glasses all came together.

I know this, us here, in this moment will probably be the only calm we get. Tomorrow though we plan, and we make sure whoever crosses our paths from this day forth, knows the consequences of hurting one of this team.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Until next time, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	11. Chapter 11

APOV

I had cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, despite Christian telling me to leave it. I had even rearranged the books in the library into alphabetical order and that was before I started polishing guns.

I didn't mind being here while the guys were out looking for information on Blandino, but I was quickly running out of things to do.

In a few moments of madness when the quiet became too much, I did amuse myself by looking on the internet and seeing that at present I was on America's most wanted. Many had blasted my place there stating that they didn't have proof I had done anything wrong. Apparently, with regards to my disappearance, some are even stating that just like my mother I too was dead somewhere, taken away by whoever killed her.

Conspiracy theorists have gone crazy with it, especially as someone had released the information that I had worked for Jack. That pissed Christian off, the hole his fist had made in the wall a testament to how angry he was that day.

It did some good though, despite Christian not seeing it at the time because it made people question her murder more. Was I taken to stop any more of Hyde's files being released or was I actually in hiding in fear for my life?

My name had been put out there to draw me out when the more it's talked about, especially my association with Hyde, the more I'm seen as the victim, in hiding from our crooked government and others who had been named, to save my life.

"Ana" Barney called out, coming to the office door where he had spent most of the day.

"If you're asking for more cake, you ate it all," I told him.

"No, no more cake, it will ruin my figure. I was hoping you could give me a hand."

"Yes, thank god, anything," I answered, leaving the newspaper I had been reading on the kitchen counter and followed him into the office. "What's up."

"I finally have access to the police database and I wanted you to look through it and see if you can find out who those are."

"I'm not even going to ask how you got access or if it's legal," I said, seeing his smile.

"Don't bother."

I picked up the photos of the men that were found at Jason's ignoring the fact for the moment that they were dead. I just looked at their features before scanning each into the computer and hoping that something came back from them.

I picked up a photo of Marco too, still struggling to believe that after what Christian had told me about him, that he could sell them out so easily. There were no details on Marco, not even a speeding ticket so for now, I put his details to the side.

"Fernandez where is he originally from," I asked Barney who was checking information on the computer himself.

"Columbia, biggest drug lord there is down there. He has lots of people in his pockets, lots of places, not just in his country but the world to hide so finding him might just be the hardest job of them all."

I watched the faces pass before me as the computer looked for details. Getting a match on the first one, I read the details out to Barney.

"Damien Greene, 34, he has a list of convictions an arm long."

"He won't be doing any more crimes. I wonder how he got caught up with Blandino, hired gun" he asked.

"Wasn't Blandino working with a known criminal, the one on the first video. I wonder if any of these men show up on that video too."

I looked to Barney who just smiled shaking his head.

"No wonder Christian loves you. Me personally, I love your brain."

His words stumped me for a moment as I forgot what I was going to say.

The feelings I had for Christian were strong, filling my stomach with butterflies by just thinking about it. Was it love, I had no clue as I had never felt like this before.

As Barney started the first video up, I knew I had to concentrate on this but his words remained in my mind.

"Stop, there," I practically shouted, pointing to one of the men in the background, Damien Green.

We continued on, looking at the video and finding many more. Blandino had obviously called in his criminal friends that night to do his dirty work. Then again he seemed like the type of man who never got his fingers dirty before, although circumstances can quickly change.

Hearing the alarm for the elevator, I watched as Barney patched into the cameras in there, taking over the feed.

The boys were back and I was quickly on my way out to meet them, Christian in particular.

"Miss me," he asked, as I jumped into his arms.

"Always, where have you been."

"We've been taking a look around Blandino's place, although there is not much to see. The cops have been through there with a fine tooth comb, even the safe was open and emptied out."

"No clue on his whereabouts or the other," I asked, not wanting to mention Fernandez by name.

"No, we learned a few things about Morton though. We spoke to his mistress."

"Doesn't he have to be married to have a mistress?" Barney asked as we moved over to the couches, taking a seat.

"Not that type of mistress. It seems our cop, likes to leave the worries behind at the end of the day and play submissive to Mistress Elena" Jason told us, looking green.

"What's up, don't like a woman in charge" I teased.

"No, nothing like that. Apparently, he had mentioned her to friends at the precinct, breaking an NDA she was not impressed about. We went to see her, and was even invited into her basement."

"It was set up a hell of a lot different than ours" Elliot added.

"Yes, four poster bed, paddles, canes and enough chains for the Marley brothers to have a field day. To top it all off, she had a naked man tied to a cross" Christian said.

"What the hell was he doing tied to a cross… No don't answer that, I don't think my young brain could handle the image" I stated, hearing Christian's laughter in my ear.

"Anyway, Morton was a client of hers. He broke the NDA so she was only too happy to speak about him considering she thought we were cops ourselves. He used to go there twice a week but before he went missing, it was more frequent, wanting to forget about the stress of the job" Jason told us.

"More like trying to relieve stress because his name was about to be released," I added.

"Probably. She said that there had been no contact since and if she ever did see him again, he would be receiving the paddle, her words not mine."

"Did she say anything about their time together before everything came out?" Barney asked, engrossed in the conversation as if this was some TV show he couldn't miss.

"They met because he went to arrest her. They raided a salon where someone had reported that drugs were being kept when in fact on the upper floors she ran a brothel. She said he was easily manipulated if there was something in it for him so as no drugs were found, the charges for her other business were dropped. It was here where we think he met Blandino. She said that he was a regular there, preferring the same girl every time."

"I wonder if Blandino is still in contact with that girl, maybe that's where he's hiding out," I said.

"Maybe. Elena said the name the girl gave was Madeline but she said most rarely give their real names. She did stop working there about the same time he put out the contract on Hyde though so maybe if we find her, we find him too" Jason told us, before getting up and headed to the office with Barney not far behind.

Not wanting to be stuck with Christian and me, Elliot made the excuse to go and keep them both in check and quickly followed behind.

As soon as it was just the two of us, I felt his breath on my neck. That was followed by little kisses before his lips gently sucked on my earlobe.

"Christian" I groaned, looking at him and seeing desire as always in his eyes. "Did visiting a sex dungeon make you horny" I teased.

Seeing the look of shock on his face made me giggle, his shock soon turning into laughter too.

"No baby, that sort of thing does nothing for me. You, on the other hand, especially considering you're wearing my t-shirt again despite you having your own clothes, you always turn me on."

I smiled placing a kiss to his lips, forgetting for a moment that there were others in the apartment. With the number of cameras around, they could definitely see us. Thankfully they were shut off in the bedroom though, as that was where we were heading, or so I thought.

"Where are we going," I asked as he led us up the stairs to a second staircase that I didn't know was even here. "Christian."

"It's a surprise," he told me, before opening the door at the top.

The first thing I noticed was the cold wind, the second was how dark it now was. Christian wrapped his arm around my waist, leading me onto the roof where my steps faltered for a moment. In front of us was a helicopter, one that Christian was smiling fondly at.

"Christian" I whispered.

"I thought I would get you out of the apartment for a while, show you a little of the city."

"We don't have to," I said, knowing more and more as the days had gone on how hard it was to be back here.

"We do. It's a nice evening and I know a nice spot we can put down, have something to eat" he replied, showing me the bag he held in his hand.

I had been so caught up in where he was leading me, I had no clue when he had picked that up.

"I'd love that," I told him, excitement filling my voice at the thought of leaving here for a little while.

Christian helped me into the helicopter, making sure I was strapped in tightly and had a headset covering my ears. I sat quietly as he did his checks, speaking then to the tower before the rotors started to turn above us and we were lifting off the ground.

"When did you bring the helicopter here," I asked him.

"Its always here. Having it lifting off the building too often though would gain too much attention so its here for emergencies. Saving your sanity is an emergency."

"It's not been too bad in there. I especially like sitting out on the balcony just the two of us after dark."

"Being in the centre of the city was one of the reasons I bought the apartment. Having it overlooked on all sides is the one disadvantage I never thought about."

"Especially when housing a wanted woman," I told him, looking away from the view below us so I could see his face.

"People will know the truth Ana when all this is dealt with. One day you will be able to walk down the street safe again."

"I look forward to that one day but I will make sure I enjoy every day until then."

We flew over the city as Christian showed me places where once upon a time he had spent a lot of time there. We never ventured over to where he had grown up, showing me instead, the space needle and the giant wheel, before flying over the Sound.

When we eventually landed, I think we were on the top of a hill. I could hear the wind blowing around us but we ignored it, taking in the city lit up before us.

"Come on, let's get in the back. We can eat better in there."

"Is that what you say to all the girls, it's comfier in the back" I teased, receiving a swat to my arse as I climbed between the seats.

"Ana, you're going to be the death of me" He moaned, finally joining me in the back.

"I prefer you alive, for a very long time," I said, placing my hand on his cheek.

"I plan on being here for a long time too," he told me before sighing. "There is still no news on Luke."

"Would the current have taken him that far out?" I asked.

"Maybe, I don't want to think of the fact he could be shark food. We want him found so we can give him the burial he deserves."

"He will be Christian, has Zac said anything."

"No, they're looking for him, even the coast guard is on alert."

"Are there any caves in the cliff face?" I asked.

"Not where he fell, Elliot went down there."

"Maybe there are some further along the coast. Someplace he could've got to, someplace dry but it's too dangerous to get out. I know people can go days without food and water, maybe he's somewhere waiting for help."

"I hope so Ana, but the fact that Marco shot him would limit his chances of if he had just fallen and found someplace dry. We won't give up hope though until we find him."

Our picnic was lovely and being out was just what I needed. We talked more about what work they were doing in trying to locate Blandino and Morton. I told him about what I had been doing with Barney for most of the day. Once his lips met mine though, all talk of anything but us ceased as our words were replaced by moans.

We made love on the back seat of the helicopter, forgetting for a moment that we were still outside. It didn't matter though as no one would be able to get to us up here Christian told me unless they were prepared for a long trek ahead of them.

As I lay a sweaty mess upon his chest, I lifted my head up for a moment to look into his eyes as he called my name.

"I love you, Ana. I love you. With you, I feel again, I feel alive. After shutting my feelings, my emotions off for so long, you've awoken them and helped me feel something I never thought I would, love."

I knew my dad loved me but until this day he had been the only one. Hearing Christian's declaration of love for me, brought tears to my eyes.

"I love you, Christian, so much," I whispered, my voice so full of emotion that I didn't know if he had actually heard me. As his hand came to my face, making me focus on him, I was greeted by a beautiful smile, confirming that he had.

We stayed on that hilltop, long into the night before flying back to Escala. We said goodnight to Elliot who had been watching the monitors before disappearing into our bedroom where we slept long after the sun had come up.

….

Today was a novelty as far as things here were concerned, I actually had the apartment to myself. I longed to go out onto the balcony just so I could feel the rain that was pouring down, on my face but as there was a chance I might be seen considering the building was surrounded by many more, I spent my time instead going through more mug shots. I even had a nosy through the weapons that were here before I decided to head into the kitchen to cook dinner for everyone.

Barney was normally here with me but he along with the others was at the Blandino's today. They had warred with themselves about leaving someone here with me but with the elevators locked off, the stairwell blocked and the panic room fully stocked if I needed it, not even a fly could get in. I had my gun, one that had put a few holes in the wall of one of the bedrooms, our makeshift shooting range here. I was actually getting good, the boys told me and my arm didn't ache any more from the kickback so I can't be doing that bad.

While I stirred the mac and cheese, Christian's favourite he tells me, I looked on the tablet Barney had given me, pulling up the plans of the Blandino's home. Barney ever the one to follow his nose, had noticed a discrepancy in the actual plans from the sketch Jason had made while they were there. There was a room, hidden, one they think he could get into without blowing it up. Those boys liked to blow things up too much so we will see how it goes.

Stirring the mac and cheese, I heard the elevator bell ring signalling the right code had been entered. Going off the plans on the iPad, which was synchronised to the computers in the panic room, I switched to the cameras in the elevator, smiling when I saw it was Christian coming home.

Picking my gun up as I have been instructed to do, I opened the doors to the foyer, waiting for the elevator to arrive. As the doors opened, I was greeted with the amused look of my boyfriend.

"Are you going to shoot me, blue eyes."

"Nah, I like having my old man around" I teased before I was wrapped in his arms, his lips meeting mine.

His hold on me as always was strong, but gentle in Christian's way. His hands, rough to some especially if you were on the end of a punch, moved up to carefully cradle my face.

"I can breathe now I'm here, you're ok," he told me, in between kisses.

"I'm fine" I mumbled against his lips before we broke apart to take a breath.

"What have you been doing," he asked me.

"I've been keeping myself busy and identified a few more people from the video, some Zac should pay attention to considering one is still on the force. Corey Mason, he was in one of the photos."

"He already has him," Christian told me.

"Then why am I looking through them," I asked him.

"Because you have a habit of seeing what we haven't."

"Speaking of seeing things that you might not, does Blandino have any kids."

"A daughter, why."

"Where is she. I read on the internet that his wife was divorcing him and was stating that they had been separated for a while. His daughter might see him though, maybe he's staying with her."

"I love your mind, I love all of you," he told me, smiling.

"You will have to fight Barney for my mind as he said he loved it too."

"He can fuck off, you're all mine."

"You won't get any disagreement from me," I told him, placing a kiss to his lips.

"Good… Is that mac and cheese I can smell."

"Yes, you will smell burning if I don't keep an eye on it," I told him, leaving the comfort of his arms and headed back towards the kitchen.

"I'm just going to get changed, don't go anywhere."

"Don't worry, I will still be here" I told him, seeing his smile as he headed into our bedroom.

I stirred the mac and cheese, whistling along to the song that was on the radio. My whistling stopped though when I heard the loud noise of a helicopter's approach.

It's not the first time I'd seen or heard a helicopter while I had been here, I mean there is one on top of the building. This one was close though, close enough that had Christian running from the bedroom in jeans and t-shirt while struggling to put his shoes on.

"Ana, get to the panic room" he shouted to me, just as the windows exploded around us and the whole building seemed to shake.

I saw flames falling from above us past the window, pieces of metal too. Christian's helicopter was gone and as I ducked down behind the kitchen island, the only cover I had, I had no idea if Christian was still with me.

The bullets continued, shattering everything they touched. I was showered in glass, splintered wood, even the plates that I had brought out for dinner, now covered me when I cowered, begging for it to stop.

"Christian, CHRISTIAN" I screamed, wanting him to answer me.

As his bloodied hand came around the kitchen island, I pulled him to me.

"You're ok," he asked, looking me over.

"You're not," I replied, my hands shaking as I took in the cut on his head that was one among many.

"I'll be fine Ana, I've had much worse. We need to try and reach the panic room, if not to stop there but to get us weapons as my gun is somewhere back there."

"Ok," I replied, my voice as shaken as my body, having no clue in all the mess where my own gun was either as it certainly wasn't on the counter where I had left it.

With what we thought was a break in the shooting we came out from behind the counter only for Christian to pull me back. The bullets now having shattered everything in its way was now hitting the door and walls that was our way to the panic room.

"We need to get out of he.." he said, stopping when we had noticed the shooting had stopped again.

Were they reloading, it was like they could see us and were goading us to move as we watched the helicopter move closer to the building. Were they going to try and land someone, the roof perhaps? Whatever option they chose, I didn't want to find out.

"Go," I said, taking his hand in mine as we ran for the stairwell, using the code to open the door.

Once we were on the stairs, he closed the gate behind us before he sent a message on his phone.

"Lockdown," Christian told me, as we started down the stairs while he explained that the doors to the gun room as I called it, his panic room would now be locked up tight. The computers were locked off now, scrambled with a code they had no chance of deciphering should they have something more powerful on that helicopter that could penetrate the room. He was doubtful but would take no chances.

I don't know how many stairs we ran down but I was shattered when we reached the bottom. We left Escala via the front exit, expecting that if someone was waiting for us they would have the garage covered. I know there is a chance that someone would be covering this area too but we have more chance of slipping out unnoticed with the rest of the residents who were making a hasty retreat this way.

Outside the street was littered with glass, pieces of the helicopter too. It was complete chaos.

Above us, the helicopter had continued firing on the apartment before turning around to fire on an approaching police helicopter. My heart sank to think of how many innocent lives were going to be lost today because of these people but I had to put it out of my mind as we continued to run away.

"Where are we going," I asked him, as we ran past approaching police cars, ambulances and the fire service who were all on route to Escala.

"Parking garage six blocks over, I have a car there," he told me as we continued to run.

Reaching the garage, we were met with more stairs, only this time we needed to go up to the top floor Christian told me. Coming out onto the roof of the parking garage, we both looked towards Escala when we heard the screech of metal as the police helicopter hit the building, exploding into flames.

Christian took my shaking hand as we ran to the corner of the parking garage, stopping by a car. We were both soaked with the rain that fell but I would rather be wet with that than with blood.

It looked like any other car that was here, black, none de-script, that was until Christian opened it with his phone. I had no idea how he did that, using something on his phone instead of a key. I suspect that Barney had something to do with it but I would ask him later when we were far away from here.

Christian opened my car door, helping me inside before closing the door behind me. As he made his way to his side of the car, I was startled when he stopped, looking down at the floor, before ducking down to look underneath.

I could see the panic on his face, hear it also when he screamed at me to get out. I only had the door open when he was pulling me from the seat and dragging me away from the car.

We had gone yards, not even that when we were thrown to the floor. My head hit it hard, the wind knocked out of me as Christian's body covered mine.

I wanted to scream, why me, what had I done in this world to make these people hate me so much. I couldn't though it would make no difference and hearing Christian's groan of pain focused my attention then.

"Christian," I said, trying to turn around but his heavy body wouldn't move. "Christian" I cried, feeling the side of the t-shirt I wore get wetter.

It wasn't the rain that fell from the sky, getting heavy now once again. It was blood that soaked my top and I knew it wasn't my own.

"Ana."

"Christian," I repeated, finally turning around as I managed to lay him on the floor.

A piece of metal had pierced his side and I knew if the blood wasn't stemmed soon, I would lose him.

"Ana" he cried now as I touched his side.

"Christian we need to get it out."

"Ana, run."

"What," I asked, taking my eyes off his wound for a moment and looked to his ashen face.

"Baby you need to run. Whoever planted that bomb won't be far. You need to run, get away."

"No, I won't leave you. Get up" I cried, trying to lift him up.

"Ana, baby, I love you. I'll be fine, just go."

I shook my head, ignoring his words and willed him to get up. His body was limp though, his energy seeping out of him with the blood through his wound. I managed to get him to his knees and then to his feet before he was back on the floor again.

"Christian, get up, please. Where's your phone," I asked, wanting to cry again when I saw it smashed on the floor.

I heard a door slam below us, one to the stairwell that would get us down. That made me freeze for a moment before I pulled Christian wanting to get us back against the wall, giving us a little bit of cover, not knowing who was coming up. If its help, I could breathe a sigh of relief but if it's someone else, like Christian, suggested then I don't know what id do.

I had a gun, one I was doing well with. Unfortunately that gun, just like everything else I had was burning at the top of the building.

As the door opened with a bang and a man emerged, I think my heart stopped. For a second, I was happy to see him, glad to know he was really ok. That quickly changed when I felt Christian's grip tighten on my arm, his need to protect me still strong despite the situation we were in.

"No, why" Christian mumbled, every word he spoke filled with pain.

Seeing the smile come on the newcomers face, seeing the sinister look he sent my way. I don't regret now that I hurt him like I once had, I don't regret leaving him in pain. The pain I caused him is nothing compared to what he's causing Christian now, through his deception, his disloyalty, his betrayal.

So I stood in front of Christian, wanting to protect him like he had always protected me. Protect him from someone he once thought was a brother, a friend. As I spoke, the words that left my lips could not be truer.

"Luke, you double-crossing bastard."

 **Does this class as one of those cliff hangers that I hate so much. If so, it's a good job that the next chapter is nearly ready.**

 **I do want to congratulate those few who thought there was something wrong about Luke from the beginning. You were right not to trust him. Christian will live before anyone panics as writing anything different would be a hard limit for me.**

 **Next chapter, Christian comes face to face with someone from his past, someone else who brought him a lot of pain.**

 **Until next time, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	12. Chapter 12

CPOV

I could feel the blood seeping out of me, feel my energy waning but my need to protect Ana was still so strong.

I reached for Ana's ankle first, wanting to pull her back to me as she stood in front of Luke, shielding me from more harm. It should be me stood in front of her, protecting her but I never thought for one second I should protect her from him.

Yes, he was a pain in the arse and he liked to annoy the hell out of Elliot but I just thought it was because he was trying to find his place within our group. Now I know he never really wanted to fit in and had a different reason for joining us from the start.

"Marco," I asked, finally standing with Ana's help, ignoring the pain in my side.

"He's dead" he laughed, keeping the gun he held pointed at Ana.

"Yes, because you murdered him" Ana spat at him.

"Marco found my backpack and was on the way back to the house when I called him over, telling him that you were both by the cliffs in need of help. The idiot followed me and I suppose only realised what was really going on when my bullet hit him. Thankfully I heard from another guy there that Jason was on his way over. If Marco was alive, I should thank him as him shooting me, gave me my escape as I wore a bulletproof vest and had a boat waiting for me. Marco was collateral damage, just like you will be in the end Ana and I suppose Christian, your family were too."

"You bastard" I shouted, stumbling forward towards him as Ana tried to hold me back. He just continued to laugh, the person I once knew disappearing from sight to be replaced with something sinister.

Our attention was taken then as the door burst open and a man appeared. He, like others I hope would've heard the car explode.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, looking at the car.

He should've been looking at us because before the word run had managed to escape our lips, he was slumped on the floor, bleeding out from the bullet wound Luke's gun had inflicted.

In the split second, we had looked at the man, Luke pulled Ana away from me, holding his gun to her head. Not having her support any more, my knees once again hit the floor.

"Why are you doing this" Ana asked him, trying to stay strong.

"Because I want to. Because there is nothing more pleasurable than watching those who hurt my brother burn."

"Your brother was my friend, he was my brother too" I spat at him.

"DON'T YOU EVER CALL CHARLIE YOUR BROTHER, HE WAS MINE NOT YOURS. Before he joined the army and met you guys, it was just the two of us and mum. You took him away from me, you and this government and you all killed him."

"I didn't kill Charlie," I said, feeling sadness once again for my fallen friend.

"You and your team were the reason he was there. He left because of you, because of Jason. If he had never joined up, hell if he had stayed in the army, he would've been alive. My mother cried herself to sleep at night when they came to tell her he was gone, it broke her, destroyed her life and then I lost her too. A medal was all they gave her, they wouldn't even tell her where he was or how he died, only that he was gone. MY BROTHER WAS WORTH MORE THAN A MEDAL AND A THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE."

"He was, he was worth everything. He was a man of honour, a man who would do anything for anyone and I know for a fact he would condemn what you're doing now. He loved his country."

"Well more fool him then because if you think blowing up your building was bad enough, wait until you find out what I have in store next. Now say goodbye Ana" he told her before he pulled a needle out of his pocket.

"No please" she cried, seeing it come towards her neck. "Christian, I love you."

"Ana, ANA, leave her the fuck alone," I shouted, trying once again to get to my feet. "Ana, baby I love you."

Seeing her body slump in his arms, I knew then I had failed to protect her.

"Enjoy your death, you won't be the only one seeing it very soon," he said, walking backwards with her, towards a car on the far side of the garage. He hadn't gotten out of it so he must've been waiting nearby for my car to go up.

As I lay on the floor as the life seeped out of me, a thousand thoughts filled my mind. Only our team including him knew about the apartment at Escala and only our team including him knew about the car that was still in flames. As I close my eyes for what feels like the final time, I'm left with one thought now on repeat. I should've known it was him.

….

I was moving, the strobe lights above me, hurting my eyes more and more as I pass under each one. There were voices all around, I could feel people touching me too but I was tired, exhausted and numb.

I wanted to get up, will my legs to move because I needed to find Ana and I wouldn't stop until I did. I loved her, so damn much and I refuse to lose her like I had lost so many before. I wanted to scream and run to her but my body wouldn't move and that alone made me want to cry.

When I woke again, the light was dimmed this time and I could hear noises in the room. I had no idea where I was, I had no idea what the annoying beeps meant but the voices, I knew who most were.

"Ana" I mumbled.

"Christian."

It was a woman's voice, one that I had heard before but in the fog that filled my brain, I couldn't place at that moment. It didn't matter though because the one voice I wanted to hear wasn't here.

"Christian, wake up" I heard Jason say as I finally opened my eyes.

"Thank god for that" Barney said.

"Ana" I mumbled. "How long."

"You've been out for two days Christian," Jason told me, my mind struggling to comprehend what he had just said.

"No, Ana."

"We'll find her, don't worry we'll find her," Elliot told me.

"She's gone… Luke."

"I'm sorry Christian, we still haven't found him," Jason said sadly.

"No, you don't understand," I said, trying to sit up but feeling the pain shoot through my side, I fell back against the bed. "He has her, he's alive. It was Luke all the time."

The room was quiet as I looked at the shocked faces of my friends. None of them wanting to believe what I had said. It was then that I noticed the other person in the room, a face from my past that I thought I would never see again.

She had aged since the last time I had seen her and I could see her want to touch me but I couldn't. I didn't want her comfort now. I had wanted it years ago, I had wanted to comfort her too but she had pushed me away. Now was not the time for reunions, now was the time for me to get out of this bed so I could find the woman I loved.

"You say he's alive, how," Jason asked me.

I told them what had happened from the moment I got back into the apartment to laying on top of that parking garage bleeding out. I had shouted at them to find her, telling them to get out of here so they could look for her.

"Christian you need to rest," she said, to me speaking again as I finally turned to her.

"I don't have time to rest, I don't have time for this," I told her, pulling myself up so I was upright and I think pulling a few stitches as well.

"Major Grey, lay back down," Jason barked, pulling rank on me, his tone shocking me for a moment as it's been a long time since he had addressed me as that.

"Jason, I can't… I can't lose her" I told him, feeling his hand come down gently on my shoulder, pushing me back.

"I know Christian. It may look like we've been doing nothing while you've been scaring the shit out of us but we've been working hard, searching for where Ana might be. I don't know if having Luke involved has just blown all our work to shit, but in a way, it explains a lot. Morton's quick departure, their ability to creep up on us unnoticed, I know he had to be in on both. They were both cops and we never looked at it before but I would bet they worked at the same precinct."

"She's alive, I know it," Barney told us. "She has to be."

"I hope you're right," I told him.

"Luke said it himself, that maybe Ana knew something about Hyde that she didn't realise. We all know how the last video sounded like there was more coming. If he was going to kill Ana, he had the opportunity to do it on top of that garage, hell he had plenty of opportunities to do it at my home" Jason told us.

"Talking about this doesn't find her," I said, wanting them or me to move.

"We're waiting on Zac," he told me.

"What do you mean."

"He paying a visit to Blandino's girl from the brothel today, planning to scare her into telling us about him."

"Did you find the room?" I asked them.

"Yes, it was an office, there were papers everywhere. Shipping documents, bank statements, even phone numbers and names. He must have thought no one would find it as he had made no effort to hide anything away. Our names and the number he used for me was there as well, that information went missing though when everything was handed over to the relevant authorities" Jason told me.

"Was there nothing that would help us find Ana?" I asked.

"No, he's definitely not hiding her there. Like you saw, the rest of the house had basically been stripped by his wife. There was nothing personal in there, nothing to do with his family."

"His kid, Blandino's, Ana asked before everything all went to shit if he would be staying with family. I have no idea how old his daughter is but maybe she's old enough to have a place of her own."

"We already found a place in the city under her name but a neighbour said, she rarely uses it. We'll look for other places, see what other names the family might use, as long as you stay where you are. I don't want to leave this place and find you missing when we get back. You're no use to Ana, trying to run around the city, leaving a trail of blood behind. She's going to need you, just as much as you need her when all this is done" Jason told me.

"I'll stay, for now," I told him, grimacing when I moved.

I watched as they all left the room, willing at least one of them to stay behind so I didn't have to face the elephant or at least the woman who was crying quietly in the room.

I felt bare, raw again seeing my mother. I thought it was the fact that I didn't have my gun any more, my phone long gone with it but if truth be known I have felt like that from the second I stepped back in this city because I knew she was here.

"Why are you here?" I asked, turning my head to her.

"How could I not be" she whispered. "Seeing you being rushed into the emergency room on the point of death through loss of blood. I looked for you, I never stopped looking for you Christian but I had no clue to where you were."

"You looked for me, you were the reason I left. You couldn't bear to be in the same room as me, you wouldn't let me try and comfort you. I was causing you too much pain so I had to go."

"You didn't cause me pain Christian, back then I just struggled to function. I shut down, it was the only way I could cope with losing your father and sister. I never realised until it was too late, that my actions caused me to lose you too."

Living the life we have and doing the job I do, tears are not something that come very often. Seeing the woman who had given me life sobbing brought on tears I was unable to stop. I wanted to be out there with my team, looking for Ana, needing to know that she was ok. Knowing that every move I made hurt though, every breath I took was a struggle made me feel like that vulnerable boy again, wanting his mother's comfort so when she held me, I didn't have the strength to push her away.

…

Four days I was in the hospital, four long gruelling days I've been away from Ana. They wanted me to stay in at least a week, maybe more but I discharged myself after the four. It was too long now and although I could feel it in my heart that Ana was still with me, I didn't know if she was hurt.

Zac had been here and he had also been dealing with the police report of what had gone on. Twelve people had been killed that day, including the poor man who had been shot coming to help. Some might say that is a small number compared to some of the missions we had taken but even one life lost because of these people was too much.

My mother had asked me to go back to her house but I wasn't ready to step back in that place again. We had talked a lot, despite me initially wanting to push her away but it was more for people knowing her association to me than for what happened years ago. Anyone I know isn't safe and she will be watched for now. If there comes a time that Zac thinks it's too dangerous to remain then she will be joining Gail.

At the moment we were actually staying in Zac's apartment, one that with us all here was quickly running out of space.

"To Marco," Cole said, lifting a glass in his friend's honour as we all lifted ours too.

"To avenging his death and dealing with traitors" Zac added, cursing himself for ever doubting his friend.

"He will be avenged, we will all see to that" Jason told him before we all knocked back our drinks.

I was on antibiotics in case an infection did occur but I wouldn't miss out on this toast.

"What do we do now and don't start with any shit about me doing nothing," I told them all.

"Olivia Blandino, daughter to the senator."

"Like Ana said," I told Zac, seeing his nod.

"Yes, like Ana suggested. She has a house in the name of Johnson, her mother's maiden name and it belonged to her parents before being left to Olivia. It's out in Black Diamond. We've looked, high walls, secure gate and from what has been seen a lot of men walking around the grounds."

"We go then," I told them.

"We will, soon, very soon but like every mission we take, we do our re-con first, plan and when the plan goes to shit, we hit the front door all guns blazing," Jason told me, describing how our missions usually go.

"Luke will expect that though," I told him.

"Yes, no doubt he would've instructed them on everything he knows about us," Elliot said angrily.

"He doesn't know everything," Jason stated. "He knows what we told him. He knows we were with Charlie, he knows what ranks we hold, the skills we have shown with the missions we've taken with him. He's never been in a war zone with us, he's never been in a position where you're truly in fear for your life. He was a cop, doing the same job basically under a different title. He's about to know what it's really like to go up against this team."

..

I ignored the pain in my side, as it couldn't eclipse the pain in my chest at being away from Ana for so long. We had planned like Jason said, found our way in, the rear this time but like they would or more Luke would expect us to go in the front, we will have something there for him too.

As we passed Lake Sawyer, a place we had teased Charlie about once upon a time, I felt anger replace the pain in my chest. No matter what Luke said, Charlie was our brother and just like we had avenged his death, today we would avenge Marco's too.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **We find out how Ana is next chapter.**

 **Until then, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	13. Chapter 13

APOV

I raised my hand to my face, wincing as I touched the bruise that was there. It was a gift from Luke for the time that he had helped me with the self-defence, from a time when I thought he was helping to keep me alive. I apologised for hurting him that day but I know there would be no apology from him now.

He was angry, they all were here and all the blame apparently was on me.

I had no idea where I was or how long I had been knocked out but it had to be days. I wanted to see Christian, I needed to know he was ok because I refuse to believe what Blandino had told me, that he was dead.

Only the thought of him being alive and that he would find me kept me going. It was because of my Old Man that I continued to do what I'm doing now.

The glass doors and windows I had in the room which one day would've opened out onto a balcony, opened now onto the wooden boards that blocked my way. They must be an inch thick, if not more and despite slivers of light coming from between some, the room was mostly shrouding in darkness.

I was fed here and they were even stupid enough to give me a knife and fork, ones they never thought to take back that first day with the food. At present, the knife was making very slow progress on one of the boards.

This was my escape route, the only one I had at the moment unless I can overpower the guards. I felt it was safer for me, as safe as it could be any way to be on the outside of the house than in.

Hearing the key turn in the lock, I moved from my position by the windows, placing the redundant curtains back before I quickly sat on the bed.

Like most days a woman not much older than me appeared and placed a plate onto the chair.

"I'm Ana," I said for what felt like the hundredth time as I say it every time she enters the room. She doesn't speak though, like she's afraid to even tell me her name. As she went to shut the door behind her, I noticed a bruise on her face. She must have received it recently as she didn't have it this morning when she brought breakfast in. "I can help you," I told her, feeling she needed to escape this place too.

She looked startled at my words before she quickly shook her head and then locked the door behind her.

Picking up the plate, I was greeted with bread and cheese. What century are these people living in that they give their prisoner bread and cheese? I suppose it's better than nothing.

It didn't take me long to finish my meal and just as I was about to resume my place by the wood blocking my escape, I heard someone turn the key again.

I knew it wasn't my female visitor so I didn't look up when they entered as I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of trying to make me scared. Intimidation was the main weapon they tried against me, intimidation and fear. When I did finally look at Luke, I cocked my head to the side, asking why he was here.

"You know, this attitude doesn't suit you," he said, stepping closer to me.

I didn't quake in fear as I once would have. I stood from the bed in front of him, classing him as just another bully I had had to put up with in my life. He wouldn't win, he wouldn't break me, no matter how much pain he tries to inflict.

"If you want attitude, I would look in the mirror if I was you. Tell me this though, why did you join the team as even I could see you didn't fit in" I asked him.

"You sure ask a lot of questions."

"Well when I only have the walls to speak to all day, I will take any chance to speak to someone, even if that happens to be you."

"Charlie, he always spoke highly of his friends and when I met them at my brothers funeral, I could see what he meant. They were a tight-knit group, a family and for a small time, I wanted part of that. Morton quickly reminded me that I already had a life, one that wasn't as thrilling as my brothers but bought me a lifestyle I don't think even Charlie could've comprehended. You see you can make a lot of money by turning the other way and if the criminal is not willing to pay you, then you just take what they have, making sure most disappears on the way to the precinct as there is always someone willing to pay for what we had. Working with that team brought on a whole new level of excitement, money that even I hadn't seen."

"How so," I asked, wanting to keep him talking so he would stay the hell away from me.

"The bounty as a cop you come across was minute to the reward I was able to access working with Jason and the team. I mean Hyde's death earned me nothing, despite me being the one who told Blandino about them, but when you're going in to take down an arms dealer it's not too hard to make some of those arms disappear especially when I'm the one Jason tasked to speak to the proper authorities due to my work on the force. I have more money than you could ever comprehend Ana, more money than that little boyfriend of yours would ever see."

"Really, I thought Barney had removed that," I told him, seeing I had hit a nerve so I continued. "You complained about Charlie's death and how much it upset your mother and you but I think it was jealousy that made you join their group. You were jealous that Charlie was out, living his life and making a name for himself when all you were was a bent cop. You couldn't exactly run home to mummy and show her your accomplishments doing that now could you."

I saw his hand coming but I moved, hitting it out of the way with my own. As he advanced on me further, it was Morton who blocked his way.

"Blandino wants her in one piece, he wants answers," he told Luke. "If we have a chance of finding out what else Hyde had in store and getting the money back, she's our only way."

"Good luck with that one" I spat at them before my arm was gripped by Morton and I was pulled from the room.

Like always, I was led up to the second floor and to an office which must be Blandino's. He sat behind a desk, looking out over the grounds that surrounded this house as I quickly looked too, searching for the best direction to run in should I manage my escape.

"Sit down," he said, addressing me but I stubbornly stood. "I said sit down" he bellowed but my feet stayed still.

Only when I was lifted from my feet and dumped into a chair did I move.

"On the day that Jack Hyde released his first video, his computer at Seattle Independent Publishing was wiped. What was on that computer Miss Steele, what was he hiding" Blandino asked me.

"I have no idea, I rarely went into his office."

"Really, from interviews that were taken after that day, you were reported to be the only one he allowed in there," Morton told me.

"I was his assistant, of course, I would be the only one who had business going in there. The fact remains though that for the six months that I worked for Jack, I rarely did go into his office due to the fact I didn't feel comfortable being close to that man."

I don't think any of them were happy with my answer but it was all they were going to get. Luke got up, leaving the office as I tried to ignore Blandino and Morton, especially when they were speaking about me.

Focusing on the office and what was within it, I noticed they had some of Jack's papers here. I would recognise his untidy scrawl anywhere and some of these I had seen in his office at SIP.

When Luke did renter the room moments later holding a laptop in his hand, he had my attention, especially when he placed it down in front of me.

"Don't you dare deny knowing what this is?" Luke told me as I looked at the screen.

When Barney had been moving money around as well as gifting some to charity, he had used a program to do it, one that was open in front of me, wanting a password that I didn't know.

"Enter it," Blandino told me.

"I think you have the wrong person. You need Barney for this," I told him, shutting the laptop.

"Bitch" Luke said, opening it again, this time out of my reach. "You were speaking to Barney while he was entering the code. He removed the money from the accounts, setting up another in the process where he moved all the money to. I know you know the code."

"I know I don't" I replied. "We were speaking about Tacoma, about the library that was there where I spent a long time. I doubt he was making a code out of my escape."

"Why not, Hyde did."

"Barney wouldn't do that. He's not like that."

I watched as Luke entered word after word after viewing details of the library and the station I once knew. Each of them came back denied which made the level of anger rise in the room.

"ENTER IT NOW" Blandino screamed in my face as if shouting at me is going to make me remember a password I didn't know.

I do remember what we did speak about that day and that was my dad. I told Barney all about him, his name, rank and regiment. I know for a fact that Barney wouldn't have used information so personal to me the way Jack had done, so I looked Blandino in the eye and told him the truth.

"I don't know it."

In his frustration Blandino picked up some of the papers from the desk, throwing them at me. What damage did he intend to inflict, a paper cut? Looking down at the papers that had landed in my lap, I picked them up, placing them onto the desk. One had fallen to the floor and it was this one that I now placed in my lap, that had my attention.

Jack's handwriting was all over the page and there were certain phrases that stood out. His clue to the station for one but another made me want to smack him for taking another thing from me and using it for his own gain.

 _ **Latch onto the robbers**_ he had written.

Chelatchie Prairie Railroad was one of my dad's favourite places to visit and a place he had taken me to many times on his day off from work. They also ran train robbers weekends or something to that extent as that was what was advertised on the poster that hung in Jack's office. I remember asking Jack about it and he told me he had grown up near there and visited often. It was one of the very few conversations we had which weren't about work and it seemed that just like last time, he had used our conversation to make another clue.

Chelatchie was a tourist place though, not a main station so I had no clue to where he would hide something there. Seeing the words following it though, I think it might have something more to do with what could be found online about it than the actual place itself.

Barney looked for where the videos were being released from, could it be as simple as that. Hiding something within their website, something that could be accessed from anywhere.

I'm getting ahead of myself because if what I think is true then I couldn't tell anyone but myself. Picking the paper up before putting it back on the table again, I sat quietly while they continued to argue amongst themselves before they turned to me again.

"Hyde kept you around for a reason, why," Luke asked me.

"Haven't we already discussed this?" I asked him, remembering having this conversation with him not so long ago.

I feel a different person than I was back then, stronger despite how weak they wanted me to feel. If it came to it, I would fight them with everything I had despite knowing that unarmed, my chances were slim. I would channel my Old Man because seeing his face again, holding him and telling him that I loved him once more, was worth fighting for.

"You were the closest person to Hyde we know of," Luke said sounding desperate now for me to give them any tiny bit of information that would help. Hell would freeze over first.

"Yet he spiked my drink and tried to rape me. Hyde used me, he took information from the few conversations we had, to make up his stupid clue. I don't know what information you're looking for with that little bit of knowledge and if I did know, I wouldn't tell you."

Blandino shot up from his chair, gripping hold of my hair so I had no choice but to look at his face. I stared at him with unwavering revulsion as he spat at me to tell him. I stayed strong though and it was him who was first to look away.

"What does all this mean. You must have seen some of them before, we got them from his office." He asked then shaking some of the papers in my face.

"I don't know, the ramblings of a mad man. You know as I do Luke, the papers he left at the station were not for me so you're asking the wrong person to what half of this means."

"You figured out the clues though from his message."

"Yes, BECAUSE HE LEFT THE MESSAGE FOR ME" I screamed, sick of going around in circles. "I was supposed to hand it all over to Kate, did you kill her off too?"

Hearing their silence at my question, I know they had some hand in her death, if not physically then they ordered it.

"This is getting us nowhere. Samuel does not take failure well. The money that was taken belongs to him and if we don't get it back then I will be personally handing you over to him" Blandino said, turning to me.

"Crooked Senators are bad enough but dealing with someone like that, you hit a new low there. Is he hiding here as well, all criminals together" I asked.

"Don't be stupid child?" he said angrily and if I'm not mistaken a little worried about his criminal friend. It seems Barney had taken money belonging to Fernandez, not Blandino and these guys were desperate to get it back.

He walked over to the window, looking down on the garden for a few minutes before turning back to me. As he turned though, I did notice his gaze settle on a painting behind his desk. Why that caught his eye I don't know unless it's hiding something. Looking at me one more time, he told them to take me back to my room before walking out.

"No, let's have a talk," Morton said once the door had been slammed shut by Blandino, sitting on the edge of the table before me. "I thought you would be like her, feeble and weak and would do anything for a quick fix."

"Who," I asked.

"Your mother. The one you murdered or was that me" he laughed.

"She is feeble and weak as she doesn't have lover boy around," Luke said, looking me straight in the eye. I didn't look away first as I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of intimidating me.

"Let's see who the weak one is when Elliot gets his hands on you. Jason, Barney and Christian too. If you think it's me who will be living in fear for the rest of my life, I would take a good look around, especially over your shoulder because they will find me, and they will find you too."

"Get out of my face," Luke told me as for a split second I saw fear in his eyes.

He disguised it quickly, his sneer back again but I didn't care because, in the battle of wills, Id won.

Morton pulled me from my chair, his grip on my arm no doubt leaving his mark. So he was the one who had killed her, all to draw me out. They didn't need to kill her in the end because with escaping and going to the first vehicle Christian had, we fell straight into Luke's trap. He might have won that little fight but he would perish in the war, I have no doubt.

"You didn't have to kill her."

"I thought you hated the woman or so we heard after."

"I disliked the way she treated me but you murdered an unarmed woman."

"Oh, she was armed all right," he told me as he led me down the stairs to the floor below. "She ran into what must have been your room, trying to lock the door behind her. She was begging for me to leave her alone but showing her mercy and leaving her alive was not in the plan so I took the knife she tried to hurt me with and made use of that. Do you know, your name was the last word that left her mouth, Ana" he laughed.

His words had hurt me more than any other he had said, although I didn't show it. Maybe in her final moments on this earth, she remembered she had a daughter, maybe she did care after all. I will never know. As he shut the door behind him, it was me who had the last word today.

"Mistress Elena is looking forward to seeing you again and has a paddle waiting."

I heard his fist hit the door, an acknowledgement that he had heard me loud and clear. He had to have heard my laughter too that was just for him, as I felt no humour in my words, I just felt numb.

….

I lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, so tired but afraid to go to sleep. Sleeping, I let my guard down and at the moment I felt like I was back in Tacoma, feeling the need to defend myself at all times like I once had. I had a knife, one that was getting blunter by the day and although I was making progress on the boards, my effort might just be in vain as I now had a guard stationed on the terrace outside. Chelatchie and that painting upstairs kept running through my mind, did they both hold secrets or was my mind coming up with false trails. Hopefully, I will have the chance to find out in time.

I was fighting to keep my eyes open when the first explosion happened. I heard the boards shake and I had a feeling that had they not been there, the glass in the windows and door to the balcony would've gone. I shot up in bed, expecting to see Christian rushing through the door but no one came.

Getting off the bed, I went over to the window, seeing through the gap between the boards a fire at the end of the long drive. There was a lot of activity out there now, men running in all different directions. When the gunfire started I could hear the panic in some of the voices nearby which made me smile.

Christian was here, I knew he was because my heart felt he was close. I had to believe that because there was no other option for me.

Hearing the key turn in the lock, I gripped the knife in my hand. I had no idea how much damage I could do with it but at present, it was all I had. Seeing the door open, it was the young woman who appeared. She looked terrified and seeing her shaking hand gesture for me to move, I did just that. She was small and if she was all I was up against she would be easily overcome. Stopping beside her though, she held her hand out to me which contained a gun.

"I'm Olivia" she mumbled. "My father, I don't know who that man is but I know whatever he's blaming you for, you didn't do or deserve this."

"Come with me," I asked her but she shook her head.

"No, I will go to my room, I should be safe there. Go down the staircase to the bottom and then turn away from the front door. It will lead you to the kitchen and then out back. I don't know where anyone else is so I don't know if you will run into anyone on the way."

"It doesn't matter," I told her, checking that the chambers on the old revolver she had given me were full. "You've given me a chance, thank you. When this is all over, I will tell them that you had no part to play in all this."

"Thank you, now go," she said as we heard hurried footsteps on the staircase as someone approached us.

It was Morton who rounded the corner and seeing us together, he had the cheek to call her a traitor. As he reached for his gun, I used the one I had, taking only one shot.

I had never killed anyone before and for a split second, as I watched him fall down, I think I was in shock. It quickly passed as I picked the gun up he had dropped, giving Olivia, Morton's gun for protection before she quickly ran up the stairs.

I could've kept his but knowing it had probably once terrorised my mother, didn't sit right in my mind. Rushing down the stairs, I tried to stay away from windows, most of which were like at Escala, blown out.

I reached the bottom, ignoring the front door and went back on myself as Olivia had instructed towards the back of the house. Rushing through the dining room towards the kitchen beyond, I had just reached the door when I ran into someone.

This was not the same someone who I had ran into in Tacoma, melting into that person's arms. No this was Blandino, a sneer similar to Luke's on his face.

"Going somewhere," he asked, gripping my arms tightly, as the gun I had held was knocked from my hand, clattering to the floor.

 **I know it's not the best place to leave it but I wanted what happens next from Christian's pov. The next chapter is written and I'm halfway through editing it, so I'm hoping to have it up sometime today.  
**

 **Take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	14. Chapter 14

CPOV

Thinking that Ana could be here was the only thing that kept me focused as we carefully made our way through the trees that surrounded the property towards the perimeter fence.

We were all back in our army fatigues, faces painted and names upon our chests, just like the good old days Barney had told us. Id had many good days since we had left the army but id never see one again until I had Ana back.

We waited for Cole to cut the chain link fence before I took the opposite side from him, pulling it apart to create a gap that we could squeeze through.

"Christian, Elliot, take point," Jason told us as we both nodded, acknowledging his command.

As we took the lead, moving forward, we could hear through the earpiece, his instructions to the others including one of Zac's teams to take the rear.

"Pete, check-in," Zac said.

"I have a lovely view of the house, three targets guarding the rear but there are others drifting around. They have a little gift waiting for us also."

"What's that," Elliot asked our lookout who was probably at the top of the tallest tree if I knew him.

"To the west, helicopter in a clearing. From the markings, I would say it's the same one from Seattle."

"Bastard," I growled under my breath, knowing that could've killed us all. Jason classed it as a bonus though and was only too happy to tell me about it.

"Christian, if Ana is here, you head to that helicopter and get her out of here. I know what that thing represents but it could also save your life."

"And head where," Elliot asked him.

"Tacoma" Zac suggested.

"No, I promised her I would never take her back there again. I have a place but I will make sure we're not found, I will take us off the grid."

I know Jason wouldn't argue with me because, despite Zac bringing in men to help as the numbers were needed, hearing information on Ana and any future locations wasn't.

Forgetting about the helicopter for the moment, Elliot and I made our way quietly towards the house taking out anyone who got in our way. Most here were kept occupied at the front of the property although others did come running when they heard the shouts for help. All were quickly silenced.

I had learned over the years never to question Barney's madness and tonight was no exception. When he had suggested using drones, armed drones to drop a few gifts all over the place we just went with it like we usually do with him. By the sound of the explosions and screams coming from the front of the house, I would say he is having a lot of fun, probably too much fun but it would create the distraction we needed so we could get into the grand house before us.

"We have movement, top right window" I heard Pete say. "It's a female."

"Is it her?" I asked him, looking up to see if we could see into the window from our location but we were too close to the building.

"Negative, it's the occupant, Miss Blandino... Shit."

"What's going on," Zac asked him.

"She's getting out onto the ledge. There is a male there, trying to get hold of her. I have a clear shot, Sir."

We were waiting for Zac's reply but he wanted more information before we preceded. At this moment in time, we didn't know how much involvement she had in all this or if she was just as innocent as Ana was. Hearing her screams from our position for him to leave her alone, Zac gave the go-ahead to take the shot.

None of us heard the shot, we only heard her screams. We did hear him land though and saw the mess it made.

"I think she's too terrified to move now," Pete said.

"We will worry about her later," Jason told him as we all retook our positions and advanced on the house.

Elliot and I reached the back door, with only having to kill one other on the way. He didn't get to shout for help when Elliot's knife sliced his throat and he wouldn't be the only one receiving no help today.

I watched as Elliot checked around the door, making sure they had nothing nasty waiting for us. When he deemed it safe, we were both surprised when upon turning the handle, the door opened before us. Had someone forgot to lock it or was it intentional, a trap. Going in with our guns raised, we were ready, should anyone jump out.

The kitchen was the room we found ourselves in, nobody here but us.

"Kitchen clear" Elliot announced, before Jason, Zac and their teams joined us before splitting up as they were heading to the upper floors while Elliot and I stayed down here.

After rechecking no one was hiding in the pantry, we moved onto the dining room.

Ana was here I knew it more than ever now as I picked up her shoe which had been discarded beside a dresser. I can't bear to think about how it came to be here, or what struggle she must have had.

Leaving the dining room, I took Ana's shoe with me as we made our way out into the hallway which was empty too. I placed her shoe down on the bottom step of the grand staircase, hoping at some point I could reunite it with its owner.

We quietly moved through the other rooms on the ground floor, ignoring the chaos that was going on outside. We could hear the others above encountering trouble by the sound of gunfire but we tried to ignore the fact that one of our own could be hurt as we continued our search. We had radio silence apart from announcing rooms clear, and no one would call anything in unless one of us was in danger or our targets had been found. Luke, Blandino and Morton were our intended targets but the one we were looking for most of all was Ana.

Most of the rooms were empty down here, although we did encounter some trouble in the library. One guy thought he could use a knife or the garish sword he had pulled down from the wall on us but was quickly taken down with a bullet from my gun.

"They never learn," Elliot said, stepping over the body as we reported in that the library was now clear.

Hearing room after room checked off with still no sign of Ana, the panic within me was beginning to start. I was so convinced that she was here still, her shoe was but where the hell was Ana.

We decided to go and join Jason's team on the first floor, but having only put one foot on the stairs, I told Elliot to shush.

I thought I was hearing things, maybe I was but I was sure I had heard Ana's voice. We had checked everywhere down here and she wasn't upstairs, the only female found being Olivia Blandino.

"I thought I heard," I said, before lifting my finger again when I yet again heard her voice.

I looked around me, knowing I wasn't going mad especially when Elliot said he could hear Ana too. Getting down on my knees and putting my ear to the floor, her voice was clearer still.

"Cellar, there's got to be one," Elliot said, as we looked around for an entrance.

The walls were wooden panels in this entrance hall, fitting seamlessly into the period of the house. Looking around for any way in, any secret entrance, it was a sliver of light that I spotted coming from under what I now know must be a door. Taking my knife, I quietly ran it down the seam in the wood, hearing a click. It was quiet so I hoped to god they hadn't heard it as we quietly slipped inside, finding ourselves on the top of a stone staircase.

Quietly we made our way down hearing Ana's voice become clearer all the time.

"We have located Ana, cellar. At present no visual" Elliot reported in before he followed me down the stairs, hearing an affirmative back from Jason.

It was Blandino she was with and at present, he was making her stand by the wall, a gun aimed at her head while he tried to move things away from an opposite wall. To be this close to the reason as to why Ana had been targeted in the first place, the reason why my dad and sister were dead, I had to struggle to stay quiet and not launch myself at him.

"They will come for me," She told him, which was the truth.

"You're boyfriend's already dead. Add to him your mother and you have no one left to rescue you" he laughed.

Elliot and I at present were behind some packing cases that were stacked up in here. They seemed to fill most of the cellar as if someone had moved in here but never got the chance to unpack because they were full, which would hopefully give us better cover if he did take a shot at us.

"You're lying, I know Christian's still alive," she told him and I could feel the pain in her voice as she willed it to be true.

Moving forward, even more, Elliot threw a penny in the opposite direction of where we were, causing Blandino to spin around away from his task and also Ana. It was in that split second that Ana saw me, my finger coming to my lips. She had practically sagged in relief but quickly masked it as he turned back to her, once again showing him no fear.

"Who's there" he called out getting no reply.

"Me, stupid," she said, tapping the one shoe she had on against the wall, making him think that it was her.

"Fucking stop it then," he told her, but she continued, masking our footsteps as we moved closer still.

Hearing a massive explosion above us, one that brought dust down on us all, I could see Blandino's panic now.

"Shit" he groaned, pulling more and more things away from the wall in his rush to reveal a door. "Stay where you fucking are" he snapped at Ana as she had started moving my way.

We watched as he opened the bolts on the door, knowing it was time to act. Elliot picked up a piece of pottery, a vase I think it was from one of the open cases. Throwing it against the wall behind Blandino, he spun away letting out a yelp and unfortunately being the coward that he is, grabbed Ana when he saw us emerge.

"I'll shoot her," he said, using her as a shield, holding his gun to her head.

"Get your fucking hands off me" she spat at him as he held her tight.

He knew he was outnumbered and that Ana was the only leverage he had. He didn't count on her being as strong as she was though as while his focus was on us, she knocked his arm out of the way, before bringing her elbow to his gut which not only made him drop the gun, but it made him release his hold on Ana too. It the split second after she moved away from him, Elliot and I both took a shot.

Blandino's legs were what we hit, not direct, just flesh wounds to take him down, knowing if they were out of action, he wouldn't be going anywhere. His screams filled the room as Ana picked up the gun he had dropped, pointing it at him too.

While I left Elliot to deal with Blandino for a moment and also to cover the door, I caught Ana as she jumped into my arms. For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe again, as if my heart was finally whole once more.

"You're alive, you're ok," she said, trying and failing to stop her tears before I kissed them away.

As I placed Ana down, her hand immediately came to the side where I had been hurt.

"I'm fine. Who did this?" I asked, gently touching the bruise on her face.

"Luke. It was my payment from when I hurt him while you were teaching me self-defence. He was here earlier but I don't know where he is now."

"We'll find him," I told her before letting her go for a second as I approached Blandino.

I could see his fear as he cowered back from me but I didn't care. My fist hit its intended target, his face, four times.

"That's for putting Ana in danger, and for taking my dad and sister away from me as I know you're responsible for the fact that they're no longer here."

Hitting him once more, I told him it was for all the pain he had caused my mother.

"That wasn't on me" he complained, spitting out a tooth.

"You ordered the hit on Cane so you're responsible for everyone who died that night. She was a baby and you're fucking bomb blew her up."

"Fernandez is the one you want, he planted it."

"I know and his days are numbered too," I told him, taking a step away from the scum that was now withering on the floor as I was quickly wrapped in Ana's arms.

I stood holding Ana as we watched Elliot open the door Blandino had been trying to open, before taking a look inside.

"Where does this lead," Elliot asked him.

"Drop dead" Blandino spat before earning a smack to his already bruised face.

"I asked you a fucking question, where does it go," Elliot asked again, gripping what hair Blandino had, and making him look at him.

"The road, it goes out to the road."

"That wasn't so hard was it," Elliot said, before checking in with Jason and letting him know that we had Ana and that Blandino was injured.

"No sign of Luke so far, although Morton's dead," Jason told us.

"I shot Morton," Ana said quietly as if she would get into trouble for admitting that. "Olivia might be up there. She's innocent in all this, she helped me escape."

"What," Blandino snapped, not believing what Ana had said.

"Who do you think let me out of the room and gave me this gun."

He took a closer look at the gun then, his eyes widening as he must have recognised it.

"That was my father-in-laws," he said, his voice quieter now.

"Well you can thank him for me then," she told him as Jason emerged with Cole to deal with Blandino.

"House is secure, grounds too," he told us.

"Luke?"

"Not yet but we will find him. Now our disgraced Senator, I have a few questions for you before I hand you over to the police, well unless you die on me first from lack of blood. How quickly you answer my questions, determines how quickly you receive help."

Jason wanted answers, especially to the question of where Fernandez was located. He was our only link to that man now and we wouldn't give up a chance to find him.

"I'm bleeding" he spat at him, holding his hands over the wounds on his legs.

"And if you don't speak you will be bleeding from a lot more than a flesh wound," Jason told him, pointing his gun at Blandino's head. "First I would like to know if there are any other secret hidey-holes like this one where Luke the fucking coward would be hiding," He asked him.

"Jason," Ana said, getting his attention.

"Yes, sweetheart. It's good to see you."

"You too" she smiled, cuddling closer into my side. "I don't know of any other hiding places but in his office on the top floor, when I asked about Fernandez he would look to a painting on the wall, a really garish one. I don't know if it's hiding anything."

We were all startled as Blandino let out a scream of frustration as if Ana had just given all his secrets away. A message from Jason to Barney soon had him on his way upstairs to find out what Blandino was trying to hide.

"Get her out of here Christian, get Ana to safety and then we will meet up. You're off the clock until I decide otherwise" Jason told me, as he knew I was still struggling with my side.

"Sir," I replied, taking Ana away from the now screaming man, keeping my gun up all the time.

I found Ana's shoe where I had left it on the bottom stair, one she quickly put on before we headed to the door. As we were leaving, Barney was just arriving, his fun now over at the front. He gave Ana's cheek a kiss, checking she was alright before he quickly slipped inside the house.

"Where are we going," Ana asked me as I heard Zac tell his men who were guarding the rear to give us cover if we should need it.

"I'm getting you out of here for now and then I will take you to Gail."

"You'll come with me," she asked.

"Of course, I've been relieved of duty, for a while anyway," I told her as we approached the helicopter, thanking whoever was looking down on us that it was open.

"This is it, the one from Seattle," Ana said of the helicopter, my nod confirming it.

"I'm glad it's here but I can't wait to get out of it."

"Me too," I told her, kissing her hand.

Whoever this was for must have been planning a quick getaway if needed as Ana found the keys hidden under her seat.

"Have they found Luke?" Ana asked as I listened in to Zac giving out orders from information that Olivia Blandino had given them that there were other hidden places in the house.

"Not yet baby, maybe the coward ran."

"He was here earlier. He kept asking questions about Barney's password, wanting the money. They said it belonged to Fernandez and he wanted it back."

"They have no chance of that," I told her.

"Barney, is there a way I can speak to him. I forgot to ask him something before"

"Of course," I told her, turning the radio on that I had for the first time today, patching it into the feed.

"Barney you there."

"Where else would I be," he said, making her smile.

"Chelatchie Prairie railroad, have you ever heard of it."

"No, I can't say I have."

"Can you check the website, maybe look at the computers there."

"Of course. Has that wonderful brain of yours figured out something we haven't again," he asked her and I could hear humour in his voice for the first time in days.

"I'm not sure. Some of the papers in Blandino's office were Jack's. On one, in particular, he had written down the clue for the Tacoma Dome station and it also looked like he was making clues for Chelatchie as well. It was one of the few places we did have a connection to as my dad used to take me there when I was a kid and Jack used to visit also as he told me it wasn't far from where he grew up. It might be a dead end."

"It's worth looking into though," he told her as the rotors started turning above us and I lifted us off the ground.

As we rose higher than the house, we could finally take in the damage. Barney had definitely had a lot of fun at the front as what hadn't been blown to smithereens was still in flames.

Getting ready to turn the helicopter away from the house, it was then that I noticed movement on the roof.

"Elliot check in."

"I'm here," he replied. "I'm in Blandino's office with Barney. He found a safe behind the painting and is just starting to unlock it."

"Get to the roof. I believe our cowardly friend is hiding out up there."

Telling Ana to hold on, I quickly banked the helicopter to the left when I saw the glint of gunfire head our way.

"I would say that's him," Ana said, holding on for dear life.

"Ana baby, just like when we were in the car, I want you to take the wheel," I told her, turning the helicopter around so I was perfectly placed to take a shot.

"You're out of your mind, there is no wheel" she screeched, as I took her shaking hands and placed them onto the stick.

"Just keep it steady, you don't have to do anything else but that," I told her as I opened the small window beside me which was in the door, aiming at the figure on the roof and unloaded the magazine in his direction.

Taking back control of the stick from her, I asked Ana to reload. I had two magazines left and I would use them both on that man if I had too.

"I'm on the roof, don't fucking shoot me," Elliot said, as we watched him climb out of a window and up onto the rooftop.

"Elliot, he's west of you, I will keep him occupied until you get there."

Ana looked at me as if I was crazy, occupied. Out of all of us, it was Elliot who had put up with Luke's bullshit the most and out of all of us, it was him who should deal with him now.

I emptied another magazine in his direction which was bouncing off the chimney pots that he hid behind. My aim was not to kill him at the moment, although if a stray bullet hit him, you wouldn't see any tears from me. No, my aim was to have him cowering in fear when Elliot reached him.

We watched as Elliot moved over the rooftop in the direction of Luke. For seconds Luke was on his feet before he was knocked on his arse with Elliot's fist. I don't know if Luke was out of ammo or he thought he could overpower my friend but he had tried running at Elliot when he saw him approach.

"They're going to fall," Ana said, gripping my sleeve as we watched Elliot and Luke fight on top of the building.

I wouldn't hesitate to take a shot if Luke came out on top but I highly doubted it with how pissed Elliot was at him.

Luke's final moments came as if in slow motion, from the power of Elliot's punch. He lost his footing, falling backwards and despite hearing him through the radio, screaming at Elliot to help him, there would be no one coming to his rescue today. No Elliot just stood back, watching Luke try and fail to hold on before he fell from the roof, landing no doubt with a thud below.

A raised thumb was what I received from Elliot who I could guarantee had a smile on his face. Seeing his gesture for us to leave, I didn't argue as I turned the helicopter around and got us out of this place.

We had won the battle, I had Ana back and I know for a short while we would all be able to relax. The war is coming though, the one against Fernandez and that will be another fight we will make sure we win because I know Ana will never be safe until we do.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **We have a little much needed calm, a little reconnecting in the next chapter before they chase the storm.**

 **Until next time, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	15. Chapter 15

APOV

I smiled watching Christian pass me by as he continued his run down the beach. I liked it here, it was calm, peaceful, the perfect place to unwind after a crazy week. I knew our stay here at Christian's was brief, because with Luke knowing about it, then so could others. We had enjoyed it as much as we could though before we meet up with the others later today.

The helicopter was gone, thank god. A part of the ocean floor for now and hopefully forever more, down the coast from here. Christian had told me that everything that could track it had already been removed before we took it so no wonder it had never been found. We know the police would've liked to get their hands on it especially after what happened in Seattle but too many questions would've been asked.

Zac's trying to limit the amount of information that is out there so as not to give Fernandez a heads up to what's going on, and having the helicopter reported as found would be a big tip off to him. Blandino refuses to give out Fernandez's location despite him being shown evidence of him being there. So instead he was confronted with the contents of his safe.

Blandino had his hands in many pies, from drugs, guns, even blackmail. Photos were found of Senator Lydon in a rather compromising position which explains his U-turn on some of the policies that he has been trying to push through. Blandino was bad through and through and didn't care who he hurt as long as he got his way.

"Shouldn't you be taking it easy Old Man?" I asked Christian, holding the bottle of water out to him as he stopped his run in front of me.

"I am" he protested, giving me a firm kiss before he wiped his sweaty hair all over my face and neck.

"Christian" I squealed, hearing his laughter in my ear before he downed the whole bottle of water.

"Are you ok. I didn't mean to run for so long," he said, wrapping his arm around my waist, keeping me close.

"It's ok, I'm fine. I like it here, do you think we'll ever come back."

"I hope so. This is my home, our home, I want it to be."

"Live here," I asked.

"Eventually, when it's safe. I'm getting ahead of myself Ana but I want you with me. I know we've always spoken of just getting through this, surviving day to day. I want to talk at some point about after though."

"I'd like to live here, with my Old Man" I teased, earning a sweaty nibble to my neck which made me laugh. "I always thought leaving Tacoma, I would be homeless but with you, I've never been. Home has been a hotel room, Jason and Gail's place.."

"Even a shack on the beach."

"As long as you're there, then yes."

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too," I told him, reaching up on my tiptoes to kiss his lips.

He took pity on me being a short arse, lifting me up so my legs wrapped around his waist. Carrying me into the house, shack, our lips still moving together, I let out a squeal when we entered the shower, freezing water cascading down on us.

On a hot summers day, it would've been lovely but on an autumn day, with the sun's appearance rare, the shower was a little chilly until it started to warm up.

With my period ending the day before we both savoured the feeling of no barriers between us for the first time. Christian took me hard, holding me up against the shower wall, leaving us both dirtier by the time we had called out the others name, than when we started.

…

"Are you ready to leave one beach behind for another" Christian asked as we watched the cars come through the gates on the monitor, our team arriving.

"As long as you're coming," I said, as he turned me to him, cradling my face within his hands.

"I'll be with you, don't worry," he told me, giving me a nervous smile.

"What is it," I asked him.

"There may be one extra coming with us today if they decide to come," he said, taking my hand as we stepped outside when the cars came to a stop.

I smiled seeing everyone emerge, although my smile faulted when a woman got out. This was the addition to the party, his mother. Seeing how nervous Christian was now she was here, I didn't know whether to walk over and welcome her or stand in front of Christian and tell her to go away.

"Easy, she's not the enemy" Christian whispered in my ear, knowing I was going into overprotective mode on him.

We had talked about her, Christian had even shed a tear or two. He wanted her to be a part of his life but he's afraid of completely opening up to her again for fear of getting hurt. I told him only time will heal old wounds and he could take all the time he needed. She had to understand that if she wanted to reconnect completely with her son. If she doesn't, she will hear a few choice words from me.

"Christian," she said nervously, approaching us as his arm tightly held onto my waist.

"Mum, id like you to meet someone. This is my beautiful girlfriend Anastasia Steele."

"Ana, please," I told her, receiving a smile.

"It's lovely to meet you, I'm Grace."

Christian let go of me for a second, kissing his mothers cheek before I was swiftly picked up by Barney and spun around.

"Ana, Ana, Ana. Can I keep you."

"No, you can't. You can find your own girlfriend and stop making mine sick" Christian protested, pulling me to him.

"What has you so happy this morning," I asked Barney as my vision finally stopped spinning.

"You and that beautiful mind. We know where Fernandez is" he told us.

"What, where" Christian asked him.

"Columbia, not far from a tiny town called Vijes."

"How did you find this out," I asked.

"Chelatchie. Hyde didn't just visit because he lived near there, he had a summer job there as a kid, selling tickets, working the computer. The old man who runs the place was saddened at his death as Jack still helped out there often, the last time being a few weeks before he died."

"Was it the website?" I asked him as we moved inside, taking a seat in the living area.

"That and the computer there. I may have planted a virus in their system, well it was a fake one which prompted their call to the IT company which I intercepted. I fixed their system, removing everything pertaining to Jack on there."

"It was their system that he was using to send his videos from. They were so cleverly disguised when they were released that it would be the last place anyone would look" Jason told us.

"How did you do this so fast, I mean I only left Black Diamond two days ago."

"They have to move fast Ana" Christian told me.

"There was nothing to do with Fernandez in that safe so I moved onto Chelatchie's website, that night."

"Don't you sleep" I teased.

"When I'm dead" he laughed.

"Which had better not be for a very long time," I told them all.

We were silent for a few moments before Christian asked the question that in a way I didn't really want to know the answer to.

"When do we go."

"A few days, a week at the most. We have a little watching to do first" Jason told him.

"What do you mean" Christian asked.

"I highly doubt it was Hyde but someone close to him has set up a camera or hacked into the feed of Fernandez home, compound, whatever it is that's there. We've watched some recordings that were saved on the computer and it's a place Fernandez has been seen often. Since we've been watching the live feed though, we've not seen him, although we have seen his number one. It's that dilemma we usually face, go in early and if he's not there, we give our hand away or wait too long and miss him. We see Fernandez on the feed and we go. We'll get Ana and Dr Trevelyan to Gail first and then go from there."

"Grace, please," his mother said as Jason nodded to her.

…

Packing up and leaving Christian's tiny home behind, I realised I was going to miss this place. Not just the place itself but for how Christian was relaxed here. Before everyone arrived, he was calm, settled but with our arrivals, he was tense, on edge once again.

"Christian, is there anything out of here you want to take" I called to him through the open window to where he was standing on the beach talking to his mother.

"Just the photos Ana" he called to me before I closed the window and turned to the little dresser where his family was displayed. Not just his biological family, his brothers too.

Picking them up, I could see how close Christian and Mia were from the photo, how you could no doubt hear her laughter if you were present that day as he ran into the ocean with her holding onto his back. There were photos of his parents, even a photo of his mother and him, the only thing he had left of any of them until now. His other family were here as well, his brothers including Charlie, and not forgetting Gail. One photo, that although it didn't have a frame yet, belonged here just like the others, was a photo of us. Christian and me, taken as we lay on the bed together back in the motel.

So much has happened since those days and once this is all over, I plan on spending a lot of time lay in bed with Christian, hopefully here.

Packing the photos away and the few items of clothing that were here, I went to join the others. They were outside by the car, having taken a lot of weapons from steel trunks buried in the sand below the deck. The only one who was inside with me now was Grace.

"He's changed," she said, turning to me, a sad smile on her face.

"He's had to. Life doesn't give us a choice sometimes."

"I didn't give him a choice," she said, brushing a tear away.

"No, you gave him a purpose," I told her honestly.

"I don't understand, how. I turned my back on the only family I had left when he needed me the most."

"Christian and I have spoken a lot about you, not just over the past couple of days but probably since we met. Losing you hit him hardest of all and it gave him the push to make sure no more innocent are hurt by people like Fernandez. Did you know your son kidnapped me?" I asked her, seeing from the shock on her face that she didn't.

"He kidnapped you, why, how."

"For the same reason, you've joined this crazy beautiful group of people, to keep me alive and save my life. I had a contract out on my head because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I worked for the man Christian had been paid to kill, and because of that man, I was brought to the attention of Blandino and Fernandez. Christian saved me that night from a fate worse than death and has continued to save me ever since."

"That man is after you too," she said, her whole body shaking because I had said Fernandez's name.

"Yes. Jack Hyde thought he could use me to pass his work on, not caring what would happen to me in the process. Because of this, because of Luke feeding them information, they thought I knew how to stop any more of these incriminating videos from being released."

"You did," Jason said, coming into the kitchen.

"Yes, but I didn't know it at the time. If I hadn't had seen that paper in Blandino's office, I would've never thought about Chelatchie. Was there other videos" I asked him.

"Several more. The news is going to explode in the next few weeks with regards to some of the president's men and some of the bribes they have taken."

"I thought they were going with radio silence with regards to Fernandez," I asked him ignoring the shiver at his name yet again from Grace.

What am I supposed to say, he who must not be named? This isn't Voldermort and that man's name needs to be out there, especially when it's reported that he's been taken down.

"With regards to him, yes," Jason told me. "Nothing to do with him, Blandino, Morton or Luke will be out there. He needs to think everything is still all right. Others though, although the videos will not be released to the public, with the evidence Hyde has collected, there are quite a few well-known people who are looking at jail time."

"Olivia, is she alright," I asked him.

"She's fine, she's in a safe house at the moment until we deal with all this. Fernandez had met her years ago and she has been able to identify some on the videos that we couldn't. She's been there too when she was a small child so at the moment she's helping Zac with trying to remember any of the house or surrounding area she can."

"She was so scared in there," I told him.

"I know, she can rise above it all though. She can live through hell and come out the other side just like another remarkable young woman that I know."

I kissed his cheek, laughing at Christian's raised eyebrow when he came in at that moment.

"What, I have a thing for old men" I teased, hearing Jason's laughter when Christian threw me over his shoulder before taking me out of the house.

As I was getting in the car after kissing my boyfriend silly, I saw a smile appear on Grace's face, one that has probably not been there for a long while.

….

Car, plane, helicopter and then a boat, we needed them all just to get to our destination, the air getting warmer the closer we got.

I had slept for a while on the plane but now I was wide awake and filled with excitement to see Gail again.

"Ana, you're going to make me seasick" Barney complained although I know he was teasing as the boat bounced over the water.

Liam was a nice man, welcoming and I could see from the way the boys greeted him when we arrived that he was someone they could trust.

I have to pinch myself some days just to believe where I was now. Not so much the setting which is beautiful with clear blue water, sandy beaches but how strong I now was as a person and above all else, how much I was loved.

I saw it in every look Christian gave me, and felt it every time he told me too. I saw it in the boys as well and I especially felt it now as I ran down the jetty and into Gail's arms.

I could hear Gail's sobs before I had even reached her, my own soon joining in too. I knew I had a biological mother, one who in her final moments had probably regretted the years that had passed. My mother in my heart though was the one who held me now. The one who had shown me how a real daughter should be treated from the moment she had offered me her hand when I got out of that van.

"You two are going to set me off in a moment," Elliot said, wiping tears away, despite telling everyone the sun was making his eyes water.

"Oh shush you," Gail told him before she held my face within her hands. "I'm so glad you're ok, I was so scared you'd..."

"Me too, for a while" I admitted as she pulled me tightly to her.

By the time we had let the other go, there were very few people left on the beach. Our partners were here, Liam also who introduced his wife Nessa to me.

"It's good to have you here," Nessa told me.

"It's good to be here, it's so beautiful."

"We try and keep it as natural as possible, the less impact on the environment we make the better."

"Well thank you for having us," I told them both as we approached the main house.

Christian told me there were small cottages along the beach, one which will be our own. Grace will stay in the main house with our hosts. I just hope she settles as she looks like a fish out of water at the moment.

"Mum, are you ok," Christian asked her as we approached the couches where she was sat.

"Of course, I'm just used to spending my days rushing about" she admitted. "The fuller the day."

"The less time to reflect."

"Yes, especially when you're too exhausted," she told him.

"Despite looking like there is nothing to do here, there is plenty actually depending on how adventurous you are or if you want a quiet time. We have something for everyone" Nessa told her.

"What like," Grace asked.

"Surfing, fishing, swimming" Liam told her.

"Sleeping, sunbathing, we have an extensive library if you just want to pick up a book" Nessa added.

"There's also skinny dipping, just ask Barney," Elliot said, earning a scowl from his friend.

"One time, I decide to go to the pool and strip off, and these idiots run off with my shorts" Barney complained making me laugh.

"Please, no skinny dipping while I'm around, we didn't bring any brain bleach with us," I said, knocking back the cushion he threw at me.

"Are you always like this" Grace asked, seeing nods from all of them especially Christian. "I'm glad" she smiled.

I think it was a relief to her that Christian hadn't been alone all these years. How he had people looking out for him despite how sad I know she must have felt that it wasn't her. That time will come if they both allow it.

…

"I wanted to ask, although I don't want to really," I said, making Christian laugh as we walked down the beach to the little cottage where we were staying.

"Ask me anything you want to Ana, you know that."

"Ok, Marco. Has there been a service yet, burial" I asked him which made his steps faulted in the sand for a moment.

"Not yet. Due to what happened that night, no bodies have been released as of yet. Marco was like us, no family really so there was no one to give his body to apart from his brothers. He's away from the scum though, those others, they can rot, Luke and Morton included."

"I'd like to go, when they do finally have a service," I told him.

"That man saved my life once, it's only right that he has the funeral he deserves. One we will all attend when we finally get back to Seattle."

Entering what will be our home here, it was a little bigger than what Christian called his shack. At the moment it didn't have the comfort of that little place yet but I know once our things were around, the photos especially, we will be comfortable here.

…..

When we went back to the main house, the difference was noticeable. Where before there was a lovely dining room table, empty and waiting to be filled with people and food. Now the table had been taken over by Barney, monitors, papers, maps and photos filling it while he tapped away on his keyboard.

"Still not sleeping" I teased him.

"Not dead yet" he shot back, giving me a smile.

I noticed he had the Chelatchie website open or so I thought as they were actually files he had taken from that site that had been so cleverly made to blend in, you wouldn't have noticed them unless you were looking for them specifically.

"What have you found. Jason said there were more videos" I stated, standing behind his chair while Christian wrapped his arms around me.

"Three additional videos, all with different targets this time. That's in addition to another one about Fernandez that should it have been released would've sent him into hiding."

Barney played a video that not only showed Blandino with him but also images from the road that passed the front gate to where Fernandez had been staying. There were photos that showed him arriving and leaving too and attached to the main video was another which must have been taken from the live feed. That would've blown Fernandez's world open had it been released and we probably would've never seen him again.

"Anything on the live feed now," Christian asked him.

"A few of his main men are there but we've not seen Fernandez yet."

"When you do, you'll all go," I said, quietly feeling Christian's lips on my hair.

"Yes baby, we'll go" he whispered.

…

Dinner was a very noisy affair as we all relaxed out on the deck. It was warm here, despite the temperature dropping a few degrees now the sun had gone in for the day.

The computers had been left for a while, Barney even being ordered to do so by Jason as he didn't want to miss anything important. Everything on that feed is being recorded now so Barney gave up and even had a drink.

"How long have you been a doctor," I asked Grace, wanting to bring her more into the conversation as she still seemed a little lost.

"Coming up to thirty-five years now. My father was a doctor and he loved what he did so when it came to making a choice for myself, I followed him to medical school."

"He must have been very proud," I told her.

"He was, very much so. A parent should be proud of their child, no matter what they do" she said quietly, looking to Christian. "Excuse me."

We all watched her get up from her seat, going down onto the sand, and walked over to the water's edge.

"I'll be back in a minute. Don't go anywhere" Christian told me, placing a kiss to my cheek before he followed his mother.

I didn't want to watch them but it was hard to turn away. There were no raised voices between them, only space before Christian closed that and pulled his sobbing mother into his arms.

"They both have a lot of hurt to get over," Gail told me taking my hand.

"I know. He wants to let her in and he has. I think a small part of him is holding back though, scared of getting hurt again."

"It's only natural sweetheart," Gail said. "Out of everyone he should've been able to turn to her and I know this may sound harsh but she let him down. Grief is hard, we all know that. Only time will tell how their relationship develops from this point on. That's a start though" she told me, nodding to them both.

…

When we got back to our place later that night, I knew he needed me. Speaking to his mother and opening up old wounds had left Christian raw.

"Let me take care of you" I had told him, hearing no argument from him.

All I did hear was my name repeated again and again as I took him into my mouth before sinking down on him.

As I rocked over him, bringing us closer and closer to our peak, our voices grew louder in the room. I didn't care if Elliot could hear us at that moment in time, his cottage, closest to ours. I didn't care if we scared the animals in the trees that were behind us, probably sending them running for miles. All I cared about was us, this beautiful man who lay underneath me as I watched him fall apart.

I fell asleep in Christian's arms that night, pretty much where I had collapsed on top of him after coming myself. His whispered words of love were the last thing I heard before sleep had taken me.

….

I woke up alone but I didn't worry because I could hear Christian's laughter outside. Sitting up in bed, I could just make him out through the window coverings, Elliot too.

Deciding to get up, I went to use the bathroom first before finding some shorts and one of Christian's t-shirts which I put on over my bikini.

A bikini wasn't something I had packed, come to think of it I hadn't packed anything of mine because I didn't have anything at Christians. Gail once again came to the rescue and I now had a stocked wardrobe here again.

"Morning boys," I said, going outside to join them, receiving a kiss from my boyfriend.

"Morning baby. Elliot here was just telling me about the wild animals that kept him awake last night. He wanted to know if we heard anything as he was sure he didn't hear anything like that last time we were here" Christian asked me with an amused look on his face.

"I did hear something. Maybe since you last came here, something new has arrived. I suspect they're here to stay for a little while so the noise, I would just get used to it if I was you."

Elliot nearly fell off the deck he was stood on, laughing and Christian wasn't much better.

"I love you" he whispered in my ear. "I look forward to letting the wild animals out more often."

His words made me giggle, and he was right. We would make sure to enjoy our time here for however long we were together and then after that because as he took me back inside, spending his time worshipping me, Christian made a promise, one that he would come home to me.

…

I sat with Grace and Gail on the deck while we watched the boys play football. They spent more time in the water or pushing each other in there which brought on a lot of laughter from us.

"Ana, may I ask you something," Grace asked, getting Gail's attention too.

"Of course," I told her before we all ducked when Liam sent the ball our way. "I like my head where it's supposed to be" I called out, throwing the ball back to them.

"Sorry baby" Christian laughed before leaving Barney who had had the ball in the sand, running down the beach with it.

"What is it you wanted to ask Grace," I said, keeping an eye on that ball.

"How old are you."

"I'm twenty," I told her, knowing where she was going with this as Christian was much older than me.

"I'm surprised," she said, surprising me.

"How so," I asked, taking my eye off the ball for a moment as I turned to her.

"Seeing you with them all, especially with what you told me about how you all met. Seeing you with my son, I thought you were older than that. Working in the hospital, I'm usually surrounded by young nurses your age who spend more time chatting or looking in the mirror than paying attention to what they're supposed to be learning. You're more mature than your years, especially with Christian."

"Age doesn't play a part in how much I love your son. The ten years could be twenty, thirty or even days, it doesn't matter to us. I suppose I've had to grow up quickly due to the childhood, into adulthood I had. Christian, Gail, all of them give me the confidence to be the real me and despite knowing that there are people out there who would happily kill me, they gave me the strength until I found my own to fight back. I'm not the same person I was the day I met Christian, I'm stronger but more than that, I'm happier than I've ever been."

"I'm glad he has you," she said, reaching for my hand. "I'm glad he's had all of you."

"He has you too," Gail told her, receiving a smile.

…

We spent the day on the beach, the next one too but I know our time as a group was coming to an end. They now had the map that Olivia had remembered, they now had confirmation too not just from the live feed but from Zac who had a team out there watching for him that Fernandez was there.

As Christian picked me up, carrying me into the water, leaving the others behind. I knew as he held me tightly to him as we bobbed about in the water that his time to depart was soon.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **There are only a few chapters left of this story now which saddens me as I've loved letting the inner tomboy out and going back to my favourite TV show as a child.**

 **I do have a few ideas for a sequel but nothing that would be a complete story at this point in time. Maybe I will come back to them after I finally get round to publishing another story I have been working on.**

 **Until next time, when Christian and Jason come face to face with evil once again.**

 **Take care**

 **Caroline.**


	16. Chapter 16

CPOV

Out of everything I have ever done in my life, I think leaving Ana was the hardest. She clung to me this morning as the boat was being packed up with everything we need, or maybe that was just me refusing to let her go.

I had hugged my mother goodbye too, telling her we would speak more when I returned but that goodbye was nothing like saying goodbye to Ana.

"Come back to me in one piece Old Man" she had told me, as I repeated the promise that I would keep. None of us knew what would happen over the next few hours or days but I know for certain I would crawl back to Ana if that was the only way to look into her beautiful blue eyes once again.

Seeing the island disappear from view I pulled the photo of us out of my pocket. It would travel with me always while I was away and I know I will look at it often. Once I was back with Ana, I would finally get it in a frame.

"You'll get back to her, we'll all see to that" Elliot told me.

Some would say we had a suicide mission ahead of us, knowing that going in through the front or back wouldn't matter with the number of men Fernandez had. We had the element of surprise though, his arrogance that he would never be found would work in our favour also. There was also the fact that we wouldn't stop until that bastard was dead.

"You all know Zac has a team out there so I'm going to tell you all what he told them," Jason said, as we ignored the ocean around us and focused on him.

"That we're on our own," I stated.

"Yes, once we leave that plane, we have seventy-two hours to get to the airstrip or we get left behind. The area where Fernandez is is heavily guarded that's why we have to jump. Getting out, it's one plane only for us all. If we're late, we have a long walk home with no papers, dodging bullets all the way."

"How many of us will there be," Elliot asked, loudly over the noise of the waves.

"Zac has seven on the ground, all who will be under my command once we get there. We will have other help as well in the shape of the local police chief and some of his men."

"I thought he had the local law enforcement in his pocket," Barney said.

"Some but not all. Our contact is Jose Rodriguez. It seems he has a score to settle with our enemy as his brother and nephew were killed in one of Fernandez's attacks. Zac's checked him out and he's clean, taking over his brother's job as chief. He has built up his own group of men, all who want to be rid of Fernandez before any of their families are hurt too. Rodriguez has the numbers we don't have. We trust them to help us to get in and do the job, beyond that..."

"We watch our backs," I told him, receiving a nod.

Back on the mainland, we said goodbye to Liam who promised to look after the girls. He was heavily armed, the girls were too except for my mother. If any boat or plane approached the island without radioing in first, they would be taken out.

Our first flight was smooth, taking us and our luggage closer to our target. Our plane now though, felt like, with one strong gust of wind, it would fall apart at the seams.

We were ready, all dressed in black, knives strapped to our thighs, guns holstered and rifles over our shoulders. We had enough bullets to make sure they knew of our arrival and enough fireworks to put a dent in the world. We're going in fully prepared, for what, who the hell knows.

"Watches synced guys," Jason told us as we made sure we were all on the same time and that also the countdown to pick up was the same. Neither of us would leave another behind and we know, should one of us miss that plane, the rest would stay behind also.

"Do you think Ana would be able to do this" Elliot asked, opening the door as we got closer to the drop zone.

"Knowing my girl, she would be the first one out. She would scream all the way down though" I told him, hearing his laughter behind me as I waited for the signal to go.

Taking the photo from my pocket, I placed a kiss to my girls face before putting it safely back. I was doing this for her, for Mia and dad, for Sophie and her mother Georgia so that no one else had to lose a father, sister, wife or daughter again.

"Get ready," the pilot said, as the others stood up. I waited for the signal and then I was gone.

I was in free fall for what felt like hours but I know it was only seconds before I opened my chute. We had a target to aim for, one despite being pitch black I was able to navigate to with the tracker I wore, leading me to the team on the ground below.

It was a small clearing, surrounded by trees which my feet skimmed over before I came into land. I was quick to get up and pull my chute out of the way, knowing one of the others would be here very soon.

We all landed safely, well except for Barney who landed in a tree. Our box was quickly found due to the tracker within and with Cole's assistance, we were soon on our way.

"What's this cop like," I asked him, wanting to know what he had observed instead of what's been written down. After Luke's betrayal, it would be a hell of a long time before I trusted anyone outside of our group again.

"He's a good guy," Cole told me as he led us towards what looked like old army jeeps, a driver behind each wheel. "His brother tried to get rid of Fernandez for years but flashing cash around here buys loyalty, so does fear. He'll help us get in but as we're not supposed to be here, if we're captured, he won't help us get out."

"We help out, clean up the mess and then get stiffed with the bill if we're found" Barney grumbled.

"No different than any other mission Barney," Jason told him. "Hearing about the numbers Fernandez has on side, we'll all be happy with the additional help before long."

We drove down dirt roads towards what I thought at first was a small town in the distance. It was a farm though, outbuildings aplenty, most though were falling down.

From the house, Pete emerged along with a man I didn't know.

"Rodriguez this is our A-Team, our lead team" Cole said, nodding to each of us as he said our name and rank.

"You men are going to get rid of the evil that taints this country."

"We're going to give it a hell of a try as it's not just your country he's trying to ruin but the world," Jason told him as they shook hands before we followed him back into the house. "Have you been inside."

"No, my brother did, twice. The last time he was taken there, he came home in pieces. My nephew too."

"I'm sorry for your loss. Most of us have lost someone to this man, he needs to be stopped. Did your brother say anything about the layout of the buildings, we only have basic Intel on that" Jason told him, pulling out the plan that Olivia had drawn.

"How did you get this," he asked surprised.

"From a young woman who was taken there as a child."

"She's lucky to have been able to get out without being killed or worse. That man treats women like objects, he took Nadal's daughter" he said, pointing to an old man in the corner.

From the pain on his face, I can only begin to imagine what that man had done to her. I understand now more than ever why this group of people came together. The same reason we did, to protect the innocent, no matter the cost.

"We'll get justice for your daughter," Jason told him.

"Gracias."

Jose as we had been told to call him, had his own map. One his brother had made which we put together with our own. It gave us a better understanding of where we were going. Unfortunately, though, it couldn't tell us what we would find when we got there.

"Is he still there?" Elliot asked Barney who had pulled from his bag a small tablet, patching into the feed.

"Yes," he told us, as we looked on.

Jose was startled, surprised even when he saw the information we had and how we could watch through the cameras that were there. I'm sure there were more cameras than the ones we had seen through in the house but as not being able to change anything, we were just happy with what we had.

"Can you put that on our computer, so we can watch from here?" Jose asked.

"Sure," Barney replied, although he didn't sound confident as Jose turned on a computer that looked as old as my girl.

Just thinking of her, kept me focused, knowing that once this is over Ana will be free once more. The press release that Zac has been working on, telling everyone that Ana was innocent and she was taken to keep her safe was ready. Everyone on the videos, both those that were released and the ones that Barney found will all be arrested in a coordinated mission back on home soil. Hyde is the reason behind these and once the information is released everyone will know that it had nothing to do with Ana. She was an innocent in all this, one who because of Hyde has had to fight to stay alive on more than one occasion. No details of how she helped us will be released, just that she was with Zac the whole time.

We worked together making a more detailed map from the images we could see on the video feed and the maps we had of our own.

The building was surrounded on all sides either by a wall or chain-link fence. The fence was towards the front though and as we had seen from the images Hyde had, was heavily guarded. It wasn't as isolated as I thought it would be, a gatehouse of some sort, sitting beside a road that connects two towns. Traffic going past must be normal otherwise they would've never got the photos in the first place.

"The main house and building are back from the road. I believe we need to silence those at the gatehouse first otherwise others will be alerted, not just those on the property but from the surrounding area too. All will be alerted once the shooting starts but we will be in a better position if we're inside as there is no other entrance or exit we know of than that." Jose told us.

"It will stop any cowards trying to sneak out also" Cole added.

"Won't the townsfolk be happy that he's being taken down?" Elliot asked.

"Most will be but there are some who are loyal to Fernandez either through fear or greed. I would rather we deal with the main element first. We get rid of him and the others will fall."

"What goes on there," Barney asked.

"We believe that is where his drug operation is set up. I don't think it would be in the main house but those surrounding property's. I believe if we get rid of them, we seriously hinder the operation making it virtually impossible for anyone to start up again once he's gone. I also have men at the fields ready to burn what is there. They go in when we do."

"If you have all these men willing to help, why haven't you gone after him yourself," I asked Jose.

"We're family men, most are farmers, we don't have the money or the skills to go up against someone like him alone. He takes…. He takes everything or destroys everything and everyone he touches either through the drugs or guns he sells or through his revenge."

"We know," Jason told him. "Some of us have been directly affected by what that man can do."

"I want to ask you, have you seen this man," Barney asked, pulling up a picture of Luke.

"Yes, he's been here….um a while ago now," The old man said, angrily. "A year, maybe two. American just like yourselves. He took a shine to my girl, that's why my Maria was taken. She was a baby, only seventeen. If I see him again..."

"He's dead," Elliot told him. "I killed him."

"Gracias… Thank you… Thank you" he sobbed, gripping Elliot's hand.

Luke betrayed so many people, hurt so many too. I wish he was alive now as I watched this grown man cry, only so he could be killed painfully once again.

We spent the day planning what was going to happen, from the car that would break down on the road near the gatehouse, to our way in, over the wall.

Nadal would stay behind. He was too old for this mission despite wanting to be in the thick of it. Barney assigned him to the cameras which having a purpose and keeping us informed of what he was seeing, kept the old man happy, plus he wouldn't slow us down.

"I'm beginning to get deja-vu," Barney said, touching up his face with paint.

"Miss it," I asked.

"No, never. I like our team, the additions we add to it too but I prefer us being a small unit dealing with societies shit and getting paid a good price in the process."

"Um, you do know we're not getting paid for doing this" Elliot stated, coming into the small room where we had put all our things, all ready to go.

"We have, we get to keep Ana, all of us despite Mr Possessive here staking a claim. We get to rid the earth of shit like Luke, Blandino, Morton and soon Fernandez, there's no bigger payday than that. The day will come again when we're being paid to rescue some damsel in distress or look after some billionaire whose own security is shit. We'll go back to protecting the innocent, killing the world's evil but I know we'll all feel better when this man is gone."

"I'll drink to that," Jason said, joining us.

"Later, I don't want to be sleeping off a hangover if we drink now," Barney replied, making us laugh as instead of glasses touching, our hands came together.

One team, together as always. One group of guys who I know will always have my back.

…

We listened in on what was happening near to the gate, as Barney gave us a play by play of what was going on. He was the only one of our team who was not with our group as his job was over there while the rest of us, including other teams positioned around the perimeter of the property, waited for the signal to go.

Barney let us know that Jose's man was in position, telling the people behind the gate that he was struggling to start the car. From what we could hear, the guards were shouting over to him to move on and they certainly didn't sound happy when they were told it wouldn't start.

We waited, hoping and probably praying that this part of the plan would work, otherwise the rest of it would be scuppered. We needed to get Barney into that gatehouse who would then lock it down making sure no one else could get inside. From what we learned from a delivery driver that had stopped there today, the gatehouse was full of monitors, showing what was going on all around. Hopefully, the cameras were controlled from there too.

Noise filled our feed then, grunts, moans but thankfully no screams. We all breathed a sigh of relief when Barney told us he was inside and within a few moments was in control of the screens.

"Jason, two men patrolling the wall where you are. If you throw the hook up, there is a chance they could hear…...Hold on, shit hold on..."

"Barney what's going on," I asked him, not liking the panic in his voice.

"One minute."

"We don't have a minute, do we go," Jason asked, wanting an answer.

"Negative, hold on. There's a second room, similar to this one in the main house. It's unoccupied at the moment, a door open. If we can see them, then they could see us" he told us as we heard him tapping away. "I'm uploading the past hour's feed that was recorded both here in the gatehouse and out in the grounds. I'll put it on a loop so hopefully, it will buy us some time."

"Will that work," Elliot asked him.

"As long as that doors open because he's gone to take a piss and not gone to alert someone. If the watcher's observant, it could be mere minutes before they realise though."

"Can you shut it down?" I asked him. "Everything."

"Yes, but it will shut the whole system down, including the monitors before me."

I looked to Jason, wanting to know what he wanted to do.

"Barney, when we go over this wall, shut it down. It will mean that we won't know where anyone is but it will stop them knowing our movements too. Lock it off if you can so they can't bring anything back up" Jason told him.

"Ok, will do" he sighed, not liking that we're going in blind.

The video feed had been a bonus ever since Barney had found it at Chelatchie. It was time to depend on our skills now, not technology. It will also give Barney more time to play with the toys he brought along.

"Barney is it still only two close to us or are there others nearby," I asked him.

"Just two. There is a building adjacent to where you are. Lights are on inside. It seems like it's used for a mess, guards sat around eating."

"Ok, I'm going," I said, letting the others know to be ready.

With anyone who was in the other computer room seeing a recording of the other side of this wall now, I asked Elliot to give me a lift up. Throwing a rope up and over would give us away so like a crazy circus act, Elliot first used his hands and then his shoulders to get me up so far before I jumped up and hung from the top of the wall.

I could hear the men talking now as I pulled myself on top, about a girl they would have fun with later at some club in town. Dropping down behind them, my knife in my hand, they were soon holding onto their throats, no screams, only last breaths to be heard.

Despite being dressed all in black, I still kept down, watching for anyone who came within sight. Giving the all clear, the grappling hook was soon securing itself on top of the wall before I was joined by my team along with Jose and some of his men as well.

"You do that often," Jose asked completely out of breath as he pointed to the wall.

"More often than you would think," I told him as we heard Jason tell Barney to cut the feed.

We all know he will mess with it first, making them think they had static and had something to fix. They will soon realise what's going on when it goes black for good and bullets start flying.

We dealt with the men in the mess first, taking them all by surprise and leaving none alive. We were approaching the house when the alarms started and armed men emerged from the surrounding buildings.

One by one we took them down, along with the searchlights they shone down on the ground trying to find us. With no lights on outside, they didn't stand a chance with the night vision goggles we wore.

"Pete are you in position," Jason asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Good, do it."

I think the ground shook with the explosion before the house went dark. That was a bit of Intel from Olivia who had told us she had stumbled into what she described as an engine room when she was here as a child. We presumed it was the generator, the back up if the power went out but seeing the lights go dark in the house which we were going to take out ourselves once inside, I guess it was a bit more than that.

"Bonus" Elliot declared and I had to agree.

Screams were what we heard from the upper floors, female screams as we entered the house. No doubt women brought here against their will. Just like Olivia's home, we went through the house, room by room floor by floor, taking out those who tried to kill us along the way.

"Where is he," Jose asked a naked woman who was cowering in one of the bedrooms, blood seeping down her leg.

She was young, younger than my Ana and when Jose pulled a blanket from the bed, she let out a shriek.

He asked in Spanish, where the men were and she shakily pointed above her.

"Do you recognise her?" I asked him.

"No, she's been taken from somewhere, there is no doubt of that. We'll get her back home when all this is done" he told me angrily, looking at the woman who was curled up in a ball on the floor now, sobbing uncontrollably.

As we approached the staircase up to the next floor, I pulled Elliot back before a bullet hit his head.

"Fucker" he complained before shooting back, leaving a trail of holes in the wall.

There were two staircases up to that floor, both were heavily guarded. Instead, I went back into the room that held the woman, opening the window so I could take a look outside.

"Can you do it?" Jason asked me over the roar of gunfire below, as we looked above us. "Stupid question," he said, smirking at the look I gave him as I stepped out of the window and onto the thin ledge.

The last time I clung onto the outside of a building, it brought me to Ana, changing my whole life in the process. Climbing up to the next floor this time, I hope it will bring us peace and maybe after all these years of bottling it up, a chance to grieve too.

I could see through the window, the door to the room was open and the back of Fernandez. It would be so easy to take a shot from where I was but balancing precariously on the ledge, it would only take one perfectly aimed bullet back and it would leave me down on the ground below with no chance of keeping my promise to Ana.

"Target in sight," I said quietly. "He has numbers up here too."

"Ok, proceed with caution," Jason said.

"This is Christian, he doesn't know what caution is" I heard Barney say before being told by Jason to shut up.

I carefully opened the window with my knife, making sure there were no alarms to inform them of my presence. Stepping inside, I could see there were ten, fifteen, maybe more men up here, all following Fernandez's orders.

"Smoke in five," I said, pulling the smoke bomb from my jacket pocket, counting down before I threw it from my position into the hallway.

That caused mass panic, one I took advantage of with the mask I now wore. As men ran into the room to escape the smoke I took out each one. Approaching the hall now, the bullets were hitting everything as what men were left in the hall, fired at everything they couldn't see.

In the panic, I heard footsteps quickly moving away. Fernandez no doubt, yet another coward hiding behind these men.

As the last man went down, the only one who had any injury's on our side was one of Jose's men. He has a nick on his arm, not even a flesh wound either and was happy to carry on, especially when we heard noise below us now as more of Fernandez's men had reached the house, coming to his aid.

Jose gave out orders, before leading his men back downstairs only after we had assured him we would deal with the filth up here. Ignoring the gunfire that soon started below, we left some of our men to make sure no one reached the stairs before we started down the corridor in search of our reason for being here.

"Pete, top floor, your left. any visual at window or cowards trying to escape."

"Windows open but anyone would be a fool to try and climb out there. There is not much to hold onto that I can see."

"I'm a fool then."

"Present company excepted" He laughed. "Out here, the dead outnumber the living."

"Any friendly," Elliot asked him.

"Two, both locals. Jackson was hit but he'll be fine."

"Ok, keep an eye out on that window. If someone tries to climb out that doesn't look like Christian, shoot" Jason told him.

"Will do."

We had radio silence now as we approached the door, using hand signals only as we got into position. There was another door just down from this one as some of these rooms had more than one exit. That one was covered too so however he tries to get out of that room, he will have to go through us.

I felt a tap on my shoulder from Elliot who was then pointing to the camera on the wall. Could he see us from where he was or was this one knocked out like the others, there was only one way to find out.

Jason counted down on his fingers before he kicked the door. It swung back with some force that he had to kick it again to stop it hitting us as we went in.

It was darker in this room than the other as the curtains had been closed. Pulling them back, the moonlight confirmed what we already knew, that this room was empty.

Jason pointed to a door that was closed, a bedroom that accompanied this small living room and behind this one, we could hear a muffled voice.

It wasn't him, it was a woman's voice we heard who was pleading with us not to shoot. She was crying, sobbing really, her cries louder now that Elliot had opened the door.

After all this time, after all the fear that this man had put into people, everything that he took, he was nothing but a pathetic excuse for a man. He had aged considerably since I had seen him outside of Canlis, he probably had a wrinkle for every person he had killed too. The smirk was the same though, the smile he gave me when I apologised for running into him that day.

"After all this time, we come face to face once again Christian. How is your mother doing."

"Why don't you let the girl go and I will show you just how she's doing," I said, calmer than I thought I would be in that moment as I aimed my gun at his head.

"And you, how's your daughter," he said, ignoring my words, trying to goad Jason who stood firm beside me.

"I would introduce you to her but she's an angel and angels don't go anywhere near where you will be going."

He had the cheek to laugh as if this was all a stupid game.

"As you will see, I'm not going anywhere so drop your weapons," he ordered, holding up a remote detonator in his hand.

I heard Elliot's word of fuck in my ear, no doubt seeing from where he was stood what Fernandez was holding. I doubt Fernandez would've seen or heard him over the woman's screams.

"Look" I mumbled quietly, before hearing him leave the room.

We had no idea if he was bluffing as we all know he's capable of setting off a bomb. Until we knew for sure we would keep him talking.

"You're really going to blow yourself up," Jason said, laughing in his face which pissed Fernandez off. "You don't have the balls to."

"Not helping" I mumbled to Jason.

"Really, I blew his baby sister to pieces, I hear daddy wasn't much better," Fernandez replied, backing him and the girl slowly to the other door.

"Do it then, DO IT" I shouted at him, ignoring the look Jason gave me.

If this detonator would set off some explosives, then why was he hiding behind this girl. He would know that shooting him would kill us all so he doesn't need a shield.

I could feel my friend come between me and Jason as we were focused on the two people ahead. I do admit I did jump when Elliot took a shot, hitting Fernandez in the knee which sent him and the detonator clattering to the floor, and the woman running past us screaming.

"Let her go" Jason shouted to those in the hallway as we watched Elliot pick up the detonator from the floor.

"He has enough explosives for Ana and Gail to enjoy the fireworks from there in a room below here. Our surprise entrance obviously stopped him from getting to that room as none of it is connected in any way to this."

"You knew," Jason asked me.

"I had a feeling. I mean why use the woman when he had the perfect reason for us not to shoot in his hand."

"I have men" Fernandez groaned.

"Dead, those that are here anyway. The others will be as good as dead when their business is gone" Elliot told him.

"Barney check-in, I want the cameras up again," Jason said as we heard our friend tell us he was bringing the computers back online.

"What do we do with this one," Elliot asked as we were joined in the room by Jose and a few of his men, all come to enjoy the downfall of their tormentor.

"I have an idea," Jose told us.

"What's that," I asked him.

"He likes explosions, blow him up."

"Like that" Jason asked, preferring no doubt to put a bullet in his brain.

"He wouldn't hesitate to do it to us. We captured Gomez, he's still alive. They can enjoy hell together. I worry..."

"You should be worried" Fernandez spoke, his words interrupted by his moans.

"SHUT UP" Jose shouted at him. "There are people who would help him, influential people who he pays that will help him start up again. We remove the boss, the drugs, guns that we found and they may not stay down forever but we have a chance of fighting back then. The fields are burning, everything needs to burn here also."

"What will you tell people about what happened here today," I asked, knowing that us being here couldn't be known.

"That we fought back against evil and won. There are some in power who will celebrate, and once word gets out, those who celebrate freedom will outnumber those who mourn the evil life that is lost. I will also make sure they have a statue built in my honour, having pride of place in the town's square" he added, making us smile.

"Camera's are up," Barney told us. "We have a few men in a building to the side of the house. The floors open, like a trap door. It seems they've been hiding inside and must think that now the shooting has stopped it's safe to emerge."

"Blow it and then get up here, we have some fireworks of our own to sort out," Jason told him.

"With pleasure" we heard Barney say and if I'm honest, I heard a chuckle from Jose too.

We watched Barney blow up the storeroom from the bedroom in the house, a room that was no longer there along with quite a few more. There was still some parts of the house standing, the far part but despite Fernandez receiving a bullet to his body for every person he had tried to hurt or had taken from us, it was the fireball he was engulfed in that eventually killed him.

It was only fitting that he went the way he preferred to kill others despite how much it hurt to know my sister had died the same way. My mia was an angel up above us, just like she was the perfect angel when she was alive. She like dad, Georgia, Sophie, Maria and everyone else who had died at the hands of that man is safe now, free to know that he can hurt no more.

We made our plane, which was thankfully able to land with no trouble as those who would've come were either at the house or dead.

Reaching the island now, it was me who was running down the jetty as soon as the boat docked before Ana jumped into my arms.

I stunk, not having washed in days and still had the grime on me from our mission. It didn't stop Ana though from kissing all over my face.

"My Old Man, you came back."

"I did, I had a promise to keep and I never break my promises."

Ana kissed me hard, our kiss continuing until we struggled for breath, and even then I wouldn't let her go.

With my other arm, I pulled my mother to me, hugging her as I told them both he was gone. My mum smiled despite the tears that fell knowing at least one evil had been removed from the world.

There would be more, you can guarantee that and we will continue to do what we've always done, protect the innocent and those in need.

For now, though we get to sit back, relax and watch as many worlds crumbled starting with Blandino who's headlining the news. The truth about Ana was released also, an innocent in all this who was taken to keep her alive.

Watching her shoot a gun, and knock me on my arse a few times, maybe my girls not so innocent after all. She has grown so much, not just in strength but in confidence and has become an important part of this team.

Ana's mine though, and I admit it, I am Mr Possessive as Barney calls me but how can I not be.

As Ana rides me now, her beautiful blue eyes staring into my own, only she can bring out the feelings I had hidden inside for so long. She's not just my girlfriend, she's my whole world, the one who gave me everything when I thought I had nothing left to lose.

As her lips met mine in a searing kiss, our peak approaching fast. There is one more thing I want Ana to be in my life and that's for her to be my wife.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Until next time which will be the final chapter of this story, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


	17. Chapter 17

APOV

I stepped onto the deck outside of Christian's home, our home now that we were back. He had big plans to build a permanent home for us here on the beach, one I had teased him, that hopefully wouldn't float away with a strong tide.

Christian had assured me that his homes were built to last. I think that's what he said anyway as I was in fits of giggles at the time as his torturous fingers tickled my sides. I have no doubts that whatever was built with his hands would last forever.

I still liked the home that stood here now, so hopefully, we could do something with it, maybe a workshop or garage once our new home is built. We have time to think of those things now we can breathe a little, time to think of anything now that isn't just getting through the day alive.

I'm not stupid, I know that even though everyone knows the truth now, that it was all Jack and not me, there will always be those who prefer to believe the lies, prefer to live in a world of drama, so that's why I always have my gun with me.

We were leaving soon, once Christian had finished his call as we were driving over to a town called Montesano where Marco grew up. He has a few childhood friends there still, his parents passing when he was in his teenage years. His wish was to be close to his family again so that is where he will be.

"Yeah, I'll bring them," Christian said, coming outside to join me, wrapping his arm around my waist before he ended the call.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked, turning my head so I could kiss his cheek.

"Yes," he sighed, placing a kiss to my lips.

I didn't know what Christian was meant to bring until he picked up a large bag containing rifles near the door. What he needed them for, I wasn't sure but he assured me there was nothing dangerous about today.

As we left the property, I used my phone to set the countless security features we had there, knowing if anyone did try and gain access to the property they would be in a world of pain by the time we returned.

We only had an hours drive ahead of us and despite the reason we were going there, I was able to enjoy the lush scenery along the way.

"Later today, I would like to drive to Seattle" Christian said quietly.

"Ok, are we going to see your mother," I asked, seeing a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"She's there most days, so maybe. I want to go and see Mia, dad too. It's been too long since I've been there, I need to apologise for my absence."

"Christian, I doubt you need to apologise to them for anything. My dad's body may be buried in the ground but I know he's always with me, just like your dad and sister are always with you. Looking down on you, guiding you and keeping you safe."

"Id like to think that Mia is with me, the little angel on my shoulder telling me off when I make a wrong choice," he told me, as a smile appeared on his face. "I don't really want her with me always though, especially when we're in the bedroom."

"I have to agree with that. Then my dad can look away too" I laughed.

Seeing his smile, Christian pulled my hand to his lips, placing a kiss on top. For the rest of our journey, my hand was firmly encased in his own.

…

We turned off the main road just outside of Montesano, driving up a smaller road and coming out into a large open space. There were headstones dotted around the grass, lots of space between each one. This was nothing like where my dad was buried. There, it was so busy, minimum space between each stone as if they struggled to fit everyone in.

"It's beautiful, as far as a cemetery can go," I said, taking Christian's hand as we got out of the car.

"I know, come," he told me, leading me over to where a large group of men were speaking, most I knew. Most were in uniform just like Christian was, all were ready to say goodbye to a friend

Gail was here also, getting out of their car to join us now that we had arrived.

We were introduced to the few we didn't know, friends of Marco's since they were children. We were also introduced to the priest who would preside over the service today.

All words quietened when the car carrying Marco arrived, the only noise being the birds in the nearby trees. I stood back with Gail as Zac, Cole, Jason, Elliot, Barney and Christian stepped up to carry the casket inside the small chapel that was here.

"Are you ok?" I asked Gail quietly as we followed them inside.

"Yes, weddings, funerals, I always cry," she told me, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"I doubt you will be the only one," I said, welling up myself at seeing the men's faces before me, all feeling the pain at the loss of a friend.

The priest started the service once everyone had taken a seat, speaking about Marco as a child. He had conducted Marco's parent's service also but as a friend of the family, had hoped that as an old man, he would've never been around for Marco's.

"When Marco was assigned to my team, I turned around to my Commanding Officer and said, hell no," Zac said from the pulpit, before apologising to the priest for saying hell. "He was a kid, with an attitude and ego as large as this room, or so we thought…. Marco told everyone originally he had joined up because he thought he had no other options and at least if he was killed in a war zone, he would go out in a blaze of glory. He failed in school, having no interest in anything after his parents were killed and was told constantly by his teachers that he would do nothing with his life. They were so wrong. The man I knew who grew from being a snotty nosed kid into a soldier, a hero, was a man of honour, a brother who would stand by your side no matter what was thrown at you. He was the best and like others I know, just needed that little bit of guidance to help him along the way. I miss you my friend" he said, stepping down from the pulpit and placed his hand onto the casket. "It was an honour serving with you."

Zac quietly came back to take a seat as Cole took his place, his speech being just as emotional as Zac's. Taking my own handkerchief from my purse, I handed it to Christian who needed it more than me at that moment, then again I think they all did.

Christian thanked me, kissing the top of my head as we sat quietly while the service continued.

…

Gail and I found ourselves back outside, following behind the men again as they carried the casket to a spot near to a large oak tree. Here beside his parents, Marco's casket was gently placed onto boards that had been laid over the hole in the ground.

We took turns, laying a flower on top of it, each quietly saying a few words.

"Thank you," I whispered, placing a kiss to the rose I held before I left it beside the others. "Thank you for being there to protect me."

I knew what the rifles were for now as the sound of gunfire filled the air as the casket was lowered into the ground. A salute to their friend who gave his life to save others, to save me.

"What happens now," I asked Christian who had me wrapped tightly in his arms once we were back at the car.

"A lot of drinking, a lot of laughter," he told me. "We're all going back to Cole's."

"Are we still going to Seattle?" I asked him, not sure if he still wanted to go all that way.

"Yes, in a little while. I'd like to toast my friend first."

We drove to Cole's home who lived the town over, meeting his girlfriend Kira who was in the middle of making food when we arrived. She was lovely and despite the sad circumstances, it was nice to see him relaxed now he was home.

"To Marco" Cole said, his arm wrapped around Kira's waist, his hand resting on her round stomach.

As I watched them all raise their glasses and toast their friend, I forget sometimes being around the guys so much, that they have lives of their own. This team, our team have practically lived in each other's pockets in their mission to protect me, that I have no idea what they do when they're not together, where the rest of them even live.

Who knows maybe Elliot has a wife somewhere or it's Barney who has the girl. Personally, though I think Barney is married to his computer and Elliot is too much of a free spirit to be tied down… yet. Either way, I plan on asking a few questions in the future so I can find out. It's only fair as they know everything there is to know about me.

….

As we walked along the line of headstones a hundred miles from where we were this morning, Christian's steps slowed the closer we got to his family.

I smiled seeing Grace here, I was glad actually as I think Christian needed her to be here today, especially after this morning. This is only the second time Christian has visited their gravesides since the funerals, finding it too painful at the time.

Although it hurt him deeply to see their names etched into the stones before us, I think a lot of why he couldn't come was to do with the woman he embraced now.

"Ana, lovely to see you again," she said, hugging me while we gave Christian a few moments alone with his dad and sister.

"You too," I replied quietly, not wanting to disturb him.

We had brought flowers, roses for his sister as like me, that was her middle name, Amelia Rose Grey. I would've loved to meet her and being the same age, I believe we would've got on well.

Watching Christian struggling to find the words to say broke my heart. I stepped closer to him, taking his hand, knowing he needed the contact, the connection we shared. Summoning the strength he had given to me so many times before, I started to speak.

"Hello, Mia, Carrick I'm Ana," I said, seeing a smile appear on my boyfriends face. "I know you've been watching over Christian and keeping him safe and I would like to thank you for that. He's an amazing man, he has a beautiful heart and I know you're incredibly proud of him."

"We are," Grace told him, brushing her tears away. "So proud."

Christian kissed my forehead, his mothers too before he finally found his own words.

"I miss you pipsqueak, you too dad. I'm sorry I haven't been around, I've been busy saving the world, just like the superhero you told me I would be Mia. You still won't get me in tights though or have my pants on the outside of my trousers but I try and be the best that I can be." His words made me laugh which in-turn made him smile before he continued. "I've met someone, a beautiful woman who I love with all my heart and I know you would all love her too. She makes me happy, happier than I've ever been before."

"I love you too," I told him, receiving a kiss, while his mother dabbed her eyes.

I don't think there would be any stopping Grace's tears today as not only did she have her son here. Despite the situation, her family were back together again.

"When we leave here today, I'll come back and I promise it won't be as long this time until I do. I will come back and let you know more of what I've been doing since you've been gone."

Placing a kiss to each of the headstones, Christian stepped back, wrapping me in his arms. Like always at moments when he felt raw, the closeness was needed between us both. He didn't leave his mother out either, kissing her cheek as he helped her into her car.

"I will see you soon," she told us.

"We'll follow you," he replied, seeing the smile light up her face.

Grace had invited us back to her home, Christian's childhood home to be precise, although I don't think she truly expected his answer. Christian hadn't been ready before to visit that place again but being here with his family, maybe it felt right.

I didn't question it, I just kissed his cheek when he got into the car by my side. Christian had let down so many walls since we had met, those he had put up to protect his heart. Facing another, where his whole world had fallen apart, I couldn't be prouder of my old man.

"Do you think you'll always do the job you do, a soldier for hire?" I asked him as we started our journey towards Bellevue.

"I hope so. Besides the army, I couldn't imagine doing anything else. What about you."

"I don't know. I'd like to gain my GED now I know I'm going to be in one place long enough. Beyond that, who knows."

"You can do anything you want to baby," he told me.

"Even join your team," I asked, seeing the smile fill his face.

"Ana, you were destined to be part of our team the second you gave Jason the last dollar you had. You were destined to be mine though from the moment I saw you in that hotel."

"I look forward to what's ahead then," I told him, my smile matching his.

"Me too baby, me too. You lead and I will follow, wherever our lives are meant to go."

…..

 _ **One year later.**_

The hotel ballroom had quickly filled up, the champagne flowing as everyone enjoyed themselves. The decor was opulent, money being no object to those around me as everyone flashed their cash trying to one-up the other. The large vases in the middle of each table were the only nice things I saw, filled with probably the only real things in the room. Flowers filled them, cascading down the sides, beautiful, natural being surrounding by all that was fake. There were millionaires here at this ball, billionaires too I hear, none I was interested in.

The chatter here was constant, but I ignored it as I looked for my target, spotting him on the other side of the room deep in conversation with a group of men. I was a redhead today, my make up full, dress revealing. I looked nothing like the woman my husband had married only three months ago and despite hating that I had to dress like this, it was needed to lure in my prey.

It had been a whirlwind year, planning a wedding while dodging bullets that were flying around. I had gained my GED which was celebrated, so were the other achievements I had gained as well.

I had passed my driving test the first time, a result of the patience Christian had with me which was rewarded after each lesson on the back seat of his car. I got the depo shot, that I think Christian celebrated most of all as there were no longer any barriers between us. Last but no means least, I had joined the Barney school of computing, being the only student he would ever teach. Before long, it was me who was teaching him a few things, all that has come in handy in the various missions we have taken since I joined this team.

"Target spotted," I said into my watch as I moved my hand up to brush a strand of hair from my face, before hearing the others acknowledge what I had said in my ear.

"If he fucking touches you" I heard Christian say.

"Don't worry old man, I will serve him his balls on a platter if he touches anywhere that's not appropriate" I told him.

I could hear Christian practically growl in my ear, knowing nothing turns my husband on more than him watching me knocking someone on their rear. It probably has something to do with me wanting to jump him after but clothes will be staying firmly on until it was just the two of us later tonight.

"Am I going to have to hear you two all night" Barney complained which made me smile.

Teasing my husband when he's unable to do anything about it at the time had turned into foreplay for us. Unfortunately, for Barney and the rest of our team, they couldn't get away from hearing it.

"Of course Barney" I mumbled, knowing he had heard me loud and clear.

"Next time, I'm going in then and Christian can sit in the van."

"You can fuck off."

I tried not to smile, hearing their argument as I sashayed past my target, knowing with what he and the others were saying, I had all of their attention.

Taking down men of power had become my favourite part of any job we do. Knowing that not only will they crumble publicly, but financially once their deception is out is wonderful to see.

Our target today is Daryl Cooper, businessman, little wife at home too stupid to know he has countless women at his disposal, that's what he thinks anyway. She is the reason I'm here, she is the one who's paying the bill for us to find out what her pathetic excuse for a husband is really up to.

He already has one strike against him with the fact he can't keep his hands to himself. If it isn't smacking the waitresses arse, it's cosying up with his secretary in full view of those around. He didn't care that he could be photographed just like he is being now by Elliot, he thinks he's invincible just because he's not at home.

Cheating on her was bad enough which is grounds for the divorce he will be hit with days from now but as she has suspected it for a while and is not at all surprised, it's the company he runs that we have been asked to look into.

The company was left to Sally Peters, now Cooper by her father when he died. Being pregnant with their son and having complications she asked him to take over the company which was where they met. That company according to the figures has been doing well, just not well enough for the lifestyle her husband has been living. She suspects he's up to something illegal and she has asked us to find out what that is before the divorce papers are handed over.

"You have eyes on your arse" Elliot told me.

"That's nothing new with my husband. Christian, are you around" I asked, approaching the bar and asking for a drink.

I could feel someone approaching me that was definitely not my husband, he even spoke to me but I didn't turn around, letting the person who was now sat on the stool beside me stew for a few moments.

"I'm around and I'm about to poke someone's eyes out" I heard Christian hiss as I counted down from 100 before finally turning to the man.

"My apologies, it's a little noisy in here. What did you say," I asked, giving the target my attention now.

"I asked if you would like a drink. A beautiful woman like yourself shouldn't be drinking alone."

"Oh, I have already ordered my drink and I'm not alone," I said holding my hand up to show him the beautiful rings Christian had put there. "Or I wouldn't be if he wasn't late again. Are you married" I asked, sighing as I thanked Jason who was my barman for the evening, before knocking straight back my drink. It was water but Cooper didn't know that, probably thinking he was quickly on his way to me being drunk.

"Who me, no. I have friends who are married and all they do is complain. Put me off it for life" he laughed.

"I wish some days, someone had put me off it" I sighed, lying through my teeth as marrying Christian was the best thing I ever did. It got the desired effect though.

"Another drink," he asked.

"I may as well, thank you" I replied.

I watched as he summoned Jason over, snapping his fingers to get his attention.

I had to stifle a smile, knowing just what Jason would do with those fingers if he did it again and it wouldn't be pretty.

"Thank you" I told him, picking up the glass he had put in front of me.

"You're welcome Ma'am," Jason told me before moving to the next customer but still keeping an eye on me.

While we spoke, Cooper's hands kept moving closer to me, all while his eyes were fixated on my exposed thigh.

"Come on Cameron," I said, making sure Cooper heard me.

"Are you sure he's coming?" the creep asked.

"He better, as this is his last chance. I'm fed up of being let down" I said, ordering yet another drink.

Turning my sad eyes on him, making him think I was vulnerable for the taking, it was like watching a spider to a fly, pulling him into my trap. He thought as my body swayed on the stool, the alcohol was affecting me when the only thing the water was doing was making me want to pee.

As we spoke, I tried to ignore the angry voices in my ear so I didn't give myself away. This man was suggestive now he thought I was drunk, obnoxious and despite me telling him that my husband would be here soon, was trying to get me to go up to his room. Instead, I stumbled from my stool heading over to the dance floor where I knew he would follow me to. This would be the final part of my plan.

"Dance with me," I demanded, closing my eyes to the music as my body moved. I knew Christian was close now, I could feel him but before he claimed me as his, there was one small stumble left, helped along by Zac and Gail who were dancing behind and knocked me into him.

He held my waist and despite hearing Christian's growl in my ear, I continued in my plan. Placing my hands on Cooper's chest to steady myself, I apologised while slipping the bug I held inside his breast pocket, hiding it within the handkerchief that was there. It wasn't just a bug, it was a transmitter also so once he leaves this place tonight, going off with the men he was very acquainted with before, we will know just where he will be.

"Come and get me," I whispered, knowing my part was over now and Christian was on his way.

I had to pinch myself sometimes to think how far I had come. From the shy terrified girl who was bundled into the back of a van to the vixen who had this man hanging off every word. I couldn't have done it without my family and especially I couldn't have done it without Christian.

"Come on, why don't we get out of here, have some fun," the pig asked me.

"Why don't you get your hands off my fucking wife, I'm cutting in" Christian ordered, daring him to speak.

"Baby you came," I said, practically jumping into his arms, leaving the now-dismissed man stood there.

Christian's lips came down on mine hard, staking a claim for everyone to see. Hearing a huff beside us, we knew our target had left the dance floor and hopefully as pissed as we had knowingly made him, was on his way out of here.

We finished the dance and I was about to leave so I could finally visit the bathroom when Christian pulled me back to him, a rose from one of the vases in his hand.

"Dance with me Mrs Grey," he said seductively in my ear as we heard Barney groan when the tango started.

"Come on guys, don't get distracted. We have a job to do" Barney complained.

Barney hated this piece of music, or more like he hated listening to us as we practically made love as we moved on the dance floor.

Our bodies were close, little moans leaving our lips here and there as we moved to the music. As his hand ghosted over my thigh, there was no doubt that Christian could feel the holster I wore, loving the fact that I was armed. As he moaned in my ear, nibbling it gently I could feel something else on him too, his cock, hardening quickly as his body rubbed against mine.

"That's it, I've had enough. Next time we're on a mission, it going to be me out there instead of being stuck in this van. I've earned it after all these years, I deserve for once to get the girl."

As his tirade continued and we heard Jason's laughter in our ears, we continued to dance. Who says these missions can't be fun, no matter how much danger they can bring. We would follow the others soon enough but for now, it was just the two of us, gliding over the dance floor. The two of us working together, that's how it always should be, My old man and me.

 **Thank you for enjoying this journey with me. I wanted it to end with Ana a full member of the team.**

 **The inspiration for the last part of this chapter came from the movie True Lies. If you haven't seen it, you can find the final part on YouTube of Arnie and Jamie Lee Curtis doing the tango. Tom Arnold's voice over makes me laugh every time I watch it so his character's personality in the film has been my Barney in this story from the start.**

 **I'm working on another story at the moment, plus if I can get all the details to work together, maybe a sequel to this one. Fingers crossed, we will see.**

 **Until then, take care.**

 **Caroline.**


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